Immanence
by GiovanniSama
Summary: On the verge of death during the destruction of his village, an adult Naruto retells the story of his life through his eyes on how he became the man known as the Kaze no Kitsune and of the three women who changed his life forever. Naruto & Yugito pairing.
1. Chapter 1: Genesis

**Author's Note: What it do all? This is my first fanfic in over five or six years (still first one here though) so don't be to hard on me. This story will take place from the beginning of Naruto but with a twist. The majority of the story will told by Naruto in first person point of view as he on the verge of death. The fight scenes will be in third person point of view as well as the important dialogue of others. It will follow the storyline but only as a backbone the majority will be created by me. That way, hopefully, there will be no one skipping over my stories. Romance will also play a roll in this story but not right off the bat, but I already have my idea pair. And no its not the usual pair people have grown used to. Matter of fact I do not think I have even read a Naruto fanfic that has the pairing. We'll thank you for you patience and please R&R. Hope you enjoy!**

**Update on**** 1/3/2008: Rahhel gave me the idea to add here some of the reasons why the low review count. I failed to post this story in the Naruto U./Kyuubi section until Aldo Montonya told me I should do so around the seventh chapter lol --'. So thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the rest of the story '.**

**Update on 11/7/08: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter One: Genesis 

Life... To live or to die? What really is life when you think about it? Is it a dream or is it merely a test to see if you are allowed to move on to some better place? For me, that word centred around those who I considered my precious people. The very people that I would toss my own life aside without the slightest doubt to preserve theirs. I never once thought that my life was important enough to place on equal ground with others. Even after I had accomplished my goal of becoming a Kage, in spite of the fact that it was not of the village of my birth. But beggars can not be choosers.

I looked over to my left to see my once glorious village now shrouded in a fog of smoke as the fires continued to spread rapidly. The screams of my people, my precious people, were pounding at the very fibre of my being, letting me know how truly weak I was. I could not even protect my village, I did not deserve the right to be called a Kage.

My mind began to wander back to the days of my youth, the days of trials and tribulations, the days were I wore a mask every day to hide who I really was for so long that it became apart of me. And the sad thing is, I did not even know why I did so when I had so many close ones after I grew older. I did not even try to fight it. How I wish that I could go back to the days of my innocence and freedom... I even miss that baka kitsune... She did grow on me after a while.

**...The Beginning...**

A cool breeze blew past me, tickling my nose a little. Just enough to stir me in my sleep. Unfortunately for me, that was the end of my peaceful sleep as mother nature seemed to be far from pleased with me trying to sleep in on this day of all days. The rays from the sun burst in through the already opened window, letting me know that I was going to be late... Late!

"Ahh!!! Iruka-sensei is going kill me for sure today! I'm going to be late!"

I quickly jumped out my bed but my body seemed to still be sleep, even though my mind was more than alert. This made me come crashing down to the floor face first in an instant.

_**Man how clumsy I was back in those days. Still wonder how I became who am today with the way I was in the past.**_

After saying a few swear words that a kid of my age had no business knowing, I managed to push myself off the cold hardwood floor and dashed towards my bathroom. Yet again, my body was yet to catch up with me and I tripped over the floor rug and fell directly in the tub.

_**That was more than a sign that today was going to be a horrible day for me. But I was far to naïve and dense to pick that up when I needed.**_

After a quick wash up and brush of my teeth, I quickly threw on my black t-shirt and the orange jumpsuit that ojii-san bought me along with my favourite goggles.

_**I owed so much to that old man, no telling what the villagers would have done to me if he was not there for me. He of all my precious people was the one I missed the most. He taught me so much.**_

I quickly locked my door and exited the apartment complex and began my dash toward the academy.

"Man how could I have slept in on what could be the most important day of my life! Baka! Baka! Baka!"

As I ran down the street I could not help but notice the angry stares and glares that were shot at me like daggers. But those very looks I had grown very used to and I continued to run, acting completely oblivious to their existence. As long as they did not attack me like they used to; then they could stare all they wanted. One day I just knew I would gain their respect when I become the Hokage, then they would have no choice.

During my sprint, I noticed a shinobi in training around my age laying on the grass right in front of the academy staring up at the clouds almost in a trance. I instantly knew who it was.

"What...are...you...doing...Shikamaru?" I questioned as I panted for air.

"Huh? Of it's just you Naruto.." He said in his usually bored voice.

"Are you late too? Why aren't you inside?" I asked but I already knew the answer.

He yawned as he raised up and dusted himself off. "Too troublesome..."

"But isn't the genin exam today?!" I yelled frantically as I just remembered why I was running and now I was definitely late.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. Just thought it was too troublesome to even deal with it." His lazy tone was almost making me give in to my still sleepy body.

_**I swear Nara Shikamaru may have been a genius but when it came to motivation he scored an absolute zero even when he became my right hand man.**_

I decided to grab him and run inside of the academy hoping that Iruka-sensei would not notice 'us' absent, but as soon as I tried to sneak into the classroom, my ears was met with a very familiar tone.

"NNNNAAARUUTOOO!!"

"Hai?"

"Where have you been?"

I looked around trying to think of a logic answer but nothing came. I started to look at Shikamaru for an answer but he had somehow sneaked to his desk without getting caught and had his head resting in his hand, in his usual bored position, leaving me to deal with Iruka-sensei by myself. I looked up at Iruka-sensei and place a hand behind my head and began to scratch it giving my usual stupid look and decided to play my usual act as well.

"Uh... gomen sensei.. I started to eat my favourite flavour of ramen and forgot all about the time..."

Some of the other kids began to giggle and laugh at my own expense. I guess that's what I get for acting like the class idiot. Iruka-sensei let out a loud sigh and ordered me to my seat, as I walked up to my seat, I glanced over at my eternal rival, Uchiha Sasuke, one of the two surviving members of the Uchiha massacre with the first being the creator of said massacre. He shot me a glare of his own as I took a sit. It was very low but I heard him say something.

"Dobe."

This as usual sent me into a blind fit of rage as I ran up to him.

"What was that, teme?!"

I stared directly at him with as much anger and killer intent as I could and he easily matched mine with one of his own. As if he was so far ahead of me that even his killing intent was so large that I was not even worth receiving a full dose.

_**Damn, how I hated it when people looked down on me like that teme used to.**_

"Leave Sasuke-kun alone, Naruto!"

I glanced up to see that I was now surrounded by fan-girls of Sasuke, which was the majority of the girls in our class including my former crush, a pink haired kunoichi in training by the name of Haruno Sakura. Sad thing is, she was one of the biggest Sasuke fan-girls in the class that was only matched by her former best friend Yamanaka Ino.

" I seriously do not see what you guys see in Sasuke-teme here. I am ever bit as good as he is any day."

"Ha, baka! Sasuke-kun could swipe you away just like the annoying 'little' fly that you are! There's no way you're even half of the man that Sasuke-kun is!" One of the girls yelled.

_**She even had the audacity of making fun of my height as well! Hell, I wasn't that short back then!**_

"Like you, baka, would know what a real man is anyway." I said under my breath but not low enough to not be heard. The next thing I knew, all the girls in the class, except one, began to pound on me until Iruka-sensei decided that it was time to get serious and freed me from my beating. But not before I was given several bumps, bruises, and a bloody nose. Mizuki-sensei entered the class room right after my 'bashing' was complete and began to announce the rules for the genin exams.

"Ok, class this is how the exam will proceed. Iruka and I will split you guys up in several different groups and have you perform a jutsu that we have trained you on. If you perform the jutsu correctly then you have officially graduated from the academy as a genin."

_**Now, I did say that I acted like a baka to hide my true face. But during that time of my life I was actually a clumsy idiot. Even though it still is hard to admit even as I speak, Sasuke could have easily wiped the floor with me back then. To say I was nervous about this jutsu test was a huge understatement. Especially since that bastard Mizuki was my instructor who I knew hated me like everyone in that village unlike Iruka-sensei.**_

In my group were Sasuke-teme, Hyuuga Hinata, Sakura-chan, Ino and I; the last two girls were practically drooling over the fact that Sasuke was in our group, who just ignored them as if they did not even exist to him. The jutsu Mizuki had decided for us to do was the one jutsu that I just could not master if it meant death. That damned Bushin no Jutsu. I noticed Mizuki smirked as he said the name of the jutsu. I swore under my breath as I moved to the back of the line by Hinata.

"Ano...g..g good l..l..luck, Na...Naruto-kun" A soft voice said to me. It was Hinata, the one girl who did not go crazy at the sight of that Sasuke-teme.

"You too, Hinata! Arigatou."

I noticed her face complexion turn a few shades redder but for some reason I could not understand why nor could I explain why she would stutter so much around me.

_**Kami-sama, I was so slow and dense back then. I'm almost grateful for what Mizuki did to me.**_

Unfortunately, everybody but me passed their genin exams that day. The Bushin I created, not to mention that it was only one and the requirement was three, looked as if someone had thrown him through a blender and then dragged him through a puddle of mud.

I sat on a swing outside of the academy yards where all the other newly instated 'shinobi' were with their parents celebrating their new status.

_**I could not figure out which I was more jealous of: the fact that they all succeeded in passing their genin exams and I failed it causing my dreams of becoming the Hokage to be forcefully taken away or... the painful truth that I had absolutely no one to comfort me or even scold me that I could consider family. That was one of the first days when I truly felt alone.**_

"Naruto, ne, Naruto, come here."

I looked around trying to find where the voice was coming from. I then looked behind the tree that supported my swing and there stood Mizuki. Confused, I walked over to him to see what was it he wanted this time.

"You have not failed just yet, Naruto." Those words quickly shifted my feelings from near suicidal to hopeful.

"How?!" I yelled with excitement. He looked around and shushed me.

"Now this special exam is the toughest and most dangerous. If you succeed you actually get skipped up to chuunin instead of genin. Are you sure want this mission?"

"You better believe I do! Dattebayo!"

_**At that moment I was almost willing to do anything to get a second chance to continue my dream.**_

" You are going to have to sneak into the Hokage tower at nightfall and 'borrow' the scroll of forbidden jutsu. Study it and bring it back to me. Then I will give you your own personal forehead protector, making you an official Konoha shinobi."

**II**

My excitement was on the verge of reaching the point where I could no longer contain it. Nightfall could not have come any quicker and getting the scroll was easy enough. It was not even guarded which really confused me at the time, but I really did not care since I had completed the first part of my task. I quickly dashed through the trees of the forest trying to find the area where Mizuki had told me to wait for him. I decided that now would be the perfect time to try and learn a few of these 'forbidden' jutsu. To my dismay, the very first jutsu was the one that I had suffer with all my life, but a more extreme and interesting version of it.

After about three to four hours of rigorous training to the point of exhaustion Iruka-sensei appeared.

"So this where you been Naruto. What do you think you doing?" He asked in his stern voice.

"Working on becoming an official ninja Iruka-sensei. Mizuki told me there was another way that I could become a ninja and even be promoted all the way the up to chuunin. I have already learned four of them!"

Iruka's look switched to one of utter shock and dismay. It was hard for him to believe that Mizuki had been the one to deceive me. I guess he already knew I would have not done this without someone telling me to.

"Mizuki told you to do this?"

"Yes I did, Iruka." Speaking of the devil, Mizuki landed on a very run-down shack near the end of the clearing. "Very good, Naruto, now hand me the scroll so I can promote you."

"No, Naruto! Do not hand him that scroll!"

Iruka-sensei walked over beside me and prepared himself for battle. This caused the expression on Mizuki's face to switch to a mask of utter anger and disbelief. Now I was completely confused with these new turn of events.

"Don't you want to get your revenge as well, Iruka? Why do you protect the very thing that killed your parents?"

Now that completely sent me into a whirl. My twelve year old mind went to overwork trying to figure out what he was talking about.

"Why don't you just kill the demon and join me, Iruka?"

That was the last straw as my curiosity wanted to know what he was talking about.

"Demon?" I asked.

"Yes, Naruto, you are the demon that attacked our village over twelve years ago. That is the very reason why all the villagers hate you."

"Do not listen to him, Naruto!" Iruka shouted as he stood in between me and Mizuki. Everything began to make sense to me at that time, why I was always alone and treated poorly. My emotions began to boil over as hot tears began to flow out of my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. At that time I honestly thought I was that demon.

"Do not listen to him, Naruto! Yes, you do have the Kyuubi sealed within you but you are not it. You are its jailer, a hero to this village. Now ru..."

Before Iruka-sensei could complete his sentence, Mizuki had launched several kunai at me, but Iruka-sensei leaped in front of me while still talking and fell to the ground with a lifeless thud. The closest thing I had to a father had just died before my eyes and I had just found out that I was a 'jailer' to a demon that almost destroyed the village that I wished to protect. Suddenly, a fiery rage began to build up from within me as I felt a second presence begging to be let out. Ripping at my very core to be set free, so 'it' could satisfy its thirst. The reaction caused a burst of chakra that I had never felt before and I tried to contain the beast. I decided that this would have to be best time to test out my new jutsu, one of the four I had manage to learn and the very first on the list.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" The forbidden jutsu allowed me to create well over sixty clones of me and we all began to gang up and pound on the shocked Mizuki, beating him almost to death.

"Wow, Naruto...well done."

I looked down and saw Iruka-sensei and leaped on him as I could no longer hold back my tears of happiness, causing him to groan in pain. I seriously thought he had died, so to see him move and speak again brought great relief.

"Congratulations, Naruto, you are officially a Ninja now."

He untied his forehead protector and placed it wobbly in my hands.

_**At that moment I did not care that I was made an official ninja. It did not even dawned on me until I woke the following morning. The only thing that mattered to me at that time was the fact that I had managed to save one of my precious people. That night was the first night that started a drastic change in me. That night was the first night I officially met her...**_


	2. Chapter 2: Devil in Blue

**Update 11/7/08: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Two: Devil in a Blue

A squad of ANBU shushined in as Iruka-sensei and I laid propped against the trunk of a tree. It was easy to tell that Iruka-sensei was in critical condition despite the tough exterior he was putting up for me. One of the ANBU, one with a hawk like mask, stepped forward towards me and I instantly tensed up. I did not know his intentions and I was not in the mood to find out.

Iruka-sensei placed a tired hand on my shoulder to help calm me down and let me know that everything would be ok.

"It's ok ANBU-san, Naruto is not the true culprit of this crime."

Iruka-sensei pointed over towards the unconscious body of Mizuki. He began to explain to them the entire situation and that I was the one that saved him. The ANBU with the hawk mask nodded and motion for two of the others to grab Mizuki and just as quickly as they appeared in front of us, they were instantly gone.

Iruka-sensei looked down at me and gave me a soft smile. I could easily tell he was still very much in pain, but that did not matter as long as he was alive.

"Naruto, I am very proud of you, I still find it hard to believe that you were able to perform the Kage Bushin no Jutsu."

I gave off my infamous smile and then looked back down at the ground.

"That was nothing sensei! I actually held back!"

_**The truth about that was the fact that I actually did hold back...a lot. I did not want to kill anyone and with that strange feeling I had during that time I probably could have easily killed Mizuki. That's one of the traits that I miss about me the most I guess, my innocence.**_

"You did what? How Naruto?" The look on Iruka-sensei's face made it very easy for me at that time to read. It was hard for him to believe that the drop dead last of the Konohagakure no Sato's newly promoted shinobi could perform a Jounin level jutsu with ease.

"Iruka-san, if you don't mind we really need to take you to the hospital and return the scroll of forbidden jutsu back into the Sandaime-sama's hands." We had completely forgotten that the leader of the ANBU squad was still there. Iruka-sensei nodded with a smile as I handed him the scroll.

"Naruto, I want you to take tomorrow off. Don't worry, you will not miss anything important. I just want you to have a little time to yourself. I am pretty sure the events of tonight have shaken you up quite a bit."

He then forced himself to his feet and the remaining two ANBU placed his arms around on top of their shoulders to help brace him for the trip back. He looked over at the squad leader as he handed him the scroll.

"ANBU-san, could you escort Naruto back to his apartment? I do not want anything to happen to him while I'm down."

The ANBU nodded his answer and Iruka-sensei smiled again.

"Arigatou."

And with, that they were gone as well and the only ones left were me and their squad leader.

The trip back home was quick and uneventful, which I was very grateful for. I was not sure how much more emotional stress I could take that night. Specially since I had no one to console me at home.

_**While most people would receive a warm welcome, food on the table or at least someone there to wonder how their day was, all I had to welcome me was my dark, stuffy, small, and lonely apartment. The same apartment that I spent the majority of my life in and no matter how long I lived there I never got used to that empty feeling.**_

**II**

I opened the door and nearly flung myself on my couch. My eye lids grew heavier as my body slowly began to give in to its desire to sleep. Just as I was about to drift away a strange sound of someone moving around brought me back with a start.

"I know you are there! Come out before..."

"Before what? You cry yourself to sleep?" This time I was sure that it was a voice and not just my mind playing tricks.

I reached for one of the kunai in my pouch and quickly began to scan the dark room furiously, hoping to find the source of the intruder.

"And what are you planning to do with that? I'm hoping that you finally decided to end your worthless annoying little life so my life would be complete."

No matter how hard I tried I could not pin point the source of the voice. I quickly began to run through all the jutsu I knew from the academy to try to figure out my next move. Whoever they were they had to be strong enough to be taken seriously since the knew such a high level jutsu.

"I really hope you do not think you can beat me, even if I'm much weaker than my former self I could still easily do away with you."

Now it felt like the person, this intruder somehow could read his mind. But they could have just been talking trash since they could most likely see me reach in my pouch. To top things off, it seemed that said voice had a feminine touch to it. I began to wonder what was the gender of my invader for unknown reasons that at the time seemed semi intelligent.

"Just show yourself already! I am not in the mood to play these games and I do not care who you are!"

_**At that point in time I did not care if that person could kill me, I was just too tired to play along enough to see if I could somehow gain the upper hand.**_

"You are no fun, you know that, Naruto?" This time the voice was clearly that of a woman but it still was a foreign one to me.

"As much as I truly wanted to continue, I guess even a stubborn baka like you can grow tired as well. And to answer the first question you previously thought of, you just found out about me tonight during your little run in with Mizuki."

_'Just found out about her tonight?'_

"Did I stutter, dobe?!" The woman yelled at me.

"Hey! And how did you know what I was thinking?"

"Simple, kit." As I continued to look around I felt a tap on my left shoulder that startled me big time. As a reaction, I leapt as high as I could, my head crashing into the ceiling. The woman began to giggle.

"I see you still have a lot to learn, kit."

I started to turn around to give her a piece of my mind but what I saw truly caught me off guard. There right in front of my was a very beautiful... sexy... woman that was wearing a blue kimono with silver tracing. Smooth ebony skin that somehow went perfect with her glossy silver hair and matching silver eyes. The thing that caught me off guard the most was how large her breast were and the fact that she knew it and was proud to show it. With the amount of cleavage she was showing, she might as well not wear anything.

"My, my, kit, aren't you a bit young to be thinking of such perverted things?"

My face instantly went red as I quickly looked in the other direction, trying my best to hide it. Yet again she laughed at my own expense.

"To answer that question, I am the 'prisoner' and you are my 'jailer'. I am the one that is trapped within you, kit..."

_**That came as a huge shock and was very hard to believe. No way this woman could be that damn demon that has caused me so much pain for the first 12 years of my life. So I managed the best reply I could do at that time.**_

"Huh?"

She gave me such a blank expression until it switched to a very irritated one. Suddenly, she sent a powerful blow to the top of my head sending my crashing face first to the floor.

"Was that even called for?!" I yelled as yet again I was rubbing the top of my head.

_**Surprised I did not get brain damage from all the beatings my head took over the years.**_

"I did not expect you to be such a baka!"

"Its not my fault! How was I suppose to believe you when you look like... like... LIKE THAT!"

"Oh, I suppose. But don't be confused kit, I just decided to appear before you in my human form. Makes it a little bit easier to talk that way."

"Ok... ok... ok, I get it a little, but one more question, if you truly are that baka kitsune then why did you show yourself to me now AND WHY THE HELL ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR CAGE?!!"

Her left eyebrow began to twitch a little as her irritated look resurfaced. I slowly began to back up remembering the last time I saw that face, not twenty seconds before.

"Can you even count!? That was two questions and STOP YELLING!"

"I WILL IF YOU WILL!"

"YOU WERE THE FIRST ONE TO YELL, BAKA!"

"FINE!"

"GOOD!"

"Baka kitsune..." I said under my voice.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"Nothing..."

"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT!"

"Feeling better?"

"Feeling great! Now, to answer 'both' of your questions, the reason I showed myself to you now is because you finally know of my existence so I felt I should live things up a little since I'm trapped here. And second I'm still _trapped_..." The last bit came out with a hint of poison. "When the damned Yondaime sealed me within you, somehow the seal allowed me to view into your subconscious and I slowly learned more about the seal and how to manipulate it. Now I can communicate with you and see whatever you see. That's also how I knew what you were thinking in that small excuse of a brain of yours."

I snorted at that remark. "But I still do not understand why you are revealing yourself to me."

"That is because if you continued the way you are, kit, you will die on your first _'real'_ mission which means I would die as well. When I get done with you, even that bastard Yondaime would fear you if he was still living. Not to mention two of those forbidden jutsu you learned would be of great help to us."

_**Now this could have been a blessing or a curse. On one hand, I had the strongest yokai in the history of mankind training me in the arts of ninjutsu, but on the other hand I had the strongest yokai in the history of mankind training me in the arts of ninjutsu. I was lucky to survive said training, but I was too naïve and dumb to realize that back then.**_

"You serious?! When do we start?!"

"Tomorrow after you're done with the academy."

"But Iruka-sensei said I did not have to go."

"I know he said that but you are going anyway!"

"Fine, fine, baka kitsune. You don't have to start yelling again."

"Look who's talking! Anyway, gets some sleep, kit. It will be a long and very painful day for you. I will not go easy on you just because I do not want you to die. I will push you to the brink of death, heal you, and push you right back there."

My face shifted to a shade of white and she began to giggle, this time it was more sinister.

I was truly in for a frightful experience the next day but I was far too tired to think about it. After she had disappeared, I quickly fell back asleep.

_**With her revealing herself to me, it marked the beginning of a new life for me. A lot of things started to change after that. But the one thing that stayed the same was my rivalry with that Sasuke-teme. One could say it actually intensified after today or no longer remained one-sided.**_


	3. Chapter 3: Tides of Change

**Update 11/07/08: Revised**

**Immanence**  
Chapter Three: Tides of Change

_**Unfortunately, I did not manage to get any sleep that night with that baka kitsune deciding to change her mind and start the training then instead of waiting after I was finished with the academy. She forced me to meditate and focus on my chakra so I could become more 'familiar' with it. With my ADD and lack of sleep it was very hard for me to complete said task, but she managed to keep me awake by eating ramen in front of me... That damn youkai...**_

I barely made it to the academy in time and for the first time in my life I did not make a scene to gain attention. Without me being loud the others did not even notice I was there.

"Naruto? What are you doing here? I thought I told you to take the day off..." Iruka-sensei instantly noticed my presence and also how tired I looked. I put on the best face I could to try to hide that fact.

"Don't worry about me sensei, I'm fine."

_**I could tell that he didn't believe me but how could I tell him that the Kyuubi was the reason I came to school and also the reason I looked that way.**_

With a very concerned look on his face, he ordered me to my seat and began the class.

**'Ne, kit, which one of these females you have your little crush on?'**

_'Not now, I'm trying to pay attention. Why don't you do what you always did before and stay quiet.'_

**'What's wrong, kit? Too shy to admit your love for her or are you too much of a loser to gain her attention?'**

_'None of your business.'_

**'Ooooh, did I touch one of your sensitive nerves? I guess it does suck to be a dobe.'**

"SHUT UP!"

"NARUTO!"

I had accidentally shouted that last bit out loud, interrupting the class and causing the students to laugh. And it seemed that was her primary objective since she was laughing along with them, only louder and in my head, which made matters worst. I looked up at Iruka-sensei and smiled.

"Gomen... I guess I got carried away a little."

"Its ok, Naruto... Just remember to control yourself more. You are an official shinobi now." He said with a tired expression as if to be doubting his decision of promoting me.

"Hai, sensei."

Feeling a little embarrassed from my outburst I decided to just go to sleep. A quiet me was better than a normal me to everyone and kept me to myself.

_**For some reason when Kyuubi fully entered my life, I went from being loud and annoying to low profile and secretive. They was how a shinobi was supposed to be, but I still had my outburst from time to time.**_

I finally managed to fall asleep despite all the annoying little stunts Kyuubi pulled to keep me awake. I was deep in dreamland when a loud cry awoke me from my slumber with a start. I quickly reached for a kunai and glared around.

"Why do I have to be on the same team as him!"

I looked over to my right and noticed that Sakura-chan was pointing at me. Too tired to find out what she was talking about, I shrugged it off and went back to sleep until this time I heard a scream and a cheer at the same time causing me to jump back up with kunai still in my hand.

Sakura-chan was staring at the Uchiha-teme with heart-filled lovey eyes while Ino was yelling about how unfair something was.

_'Umm...what just happened?'_ I decided to ask Kyuubi instead of making myself look more like a fool.

**'You are now an official member of Team 7 with Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. And you are to await here for your sensei.'**

"NANI?!" So much for not making a fool of myself.

"Talking about being dead last..." Sasuke-teme had finally decided to chime in with his usual taunts toward me.

"Iruka-sensei, is there anyway we could trade Naruto for someone else? I mean I rather have that Ino pig than that baka on my team!"

"Hey!" Ino shouted.

**'Wow...you are really loved kit. You sure you want to be the Hokage of this village?'**

_'You grow used to it over time.'_

**'That's not a good thing...'**

"No. The teams are final!"

"But sensei..."

"Would you rather repeat a year in the academy instead?!"

With that said Sakura-chan finally gave in to Iruka-sensei's demands. I was too tired to protest myself so I just gave in without a fight which I could tell made Iruka-sensei surprised.

_'Whatever, wake me up when my new sensei arrives.'_

**'And if I don't?'**

_'Whatever...'_ I said mentally in an exhausted tone.

**'You're no fun when you're tired, kit.'**

Before I knew it, I was back to sleep. Unfortunately when I woke back up (a hour and a half later), our new sensei was still yet to arrive. I scanned the room to see where the other two were. Sasuke-teme was staring out at the window as if he was too good to look at us and Sakura-chan was doing what she normal did, practically drooling over the teme. I let out a loud yawn and stretched out my arms and legs and began to walk toward the door.

"What are you doing now, Naruto?" An annoyed Sakura-chan called out to me but I was in no mood to try to make her mine like in the past. I guess that had something to do with Kyuubi revealing herself and the fact that I was still tired. Instead of replying, I just waved my hand in the air and walked out of the class room, I really had to go. What I was not expecting was to walk right into our new sensei and fall right on my butt.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?! YOU SERIOUSLY NEED TO WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

I glanced up to the sight of a tall slender man around 6 feet in height, grey hair that spiked up a little and a ninja mask that cover everything on his face but his left eye. He was also wore jounin ninja vest. That was when I realized that was our new sensei.

**'I see you're off to a good start kit.'**

_'Just shut up...'_

The jounin just looked down at me as if he just stepped on something and then looked up at the other two.

"From today on I will be your sensei, meet me up on the roof in a few minutes." With that said, he shushin-ed out of the room leaving us to stare at each other in wonder.

"Way to go, baka! You ticked him off!" Sakura-chan screamed at me, but just like before I waved her off and exited the room to continue on what I originally set out to do. That was when it hit me that normally I would have pleaded for her attention, now, it was like I was ignoring her.

_'Hey baka kitsune, what did you do to me?!'_ I heard a distant sigh.

**'I didn't do anything gaki! And what did I tell you about yelling!'**

_'You told me nothing! And I know you are lying!'_

**'Well I'm telling you now! STOP YELLING OR I'LL MAKE THE TRAINING A HUNDRED TIMES TOUGHER!'** On that note, I decided not to yell at her any more, at least not this time. **'And what do you mean by what I did to you?'**

_'My personality has changed, I used to be crazy about Sakura-chan, now I feel more annoyed by her.'_

**'Hmmm... I'm guessing that with me being active in your subconscious, it's causing a change in your outlook on things.'**

_'You guess?!'_

**'Naruto...'** She said with the venom literally dripping off her words.

_'Gomen...'_

**'It is just something you are going to have to adjust to. And if you ask me, I think you're better off without pinky over there.'** I managed to smirk at that comment.

When I arrived at the roof the rest were already there waiting and I could tell both Sasuke and Sakura were annoyed at me but I didn't care at the time.

"Now that we all are here, I would like you guys to introduce yourselves. List your names, likes, dislikes, and goals. I will start everything off so you can get the gist of what I want. My name is Hatake Kakashi, there are not many things I like or dislike and I have no goals in life." Everything he said had such a boring tone to it that it literally screamed 'I don't want to be here!' He then looked over at me and nodded for me to go next.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I like ramen and my precious people, I dislike the time it takes to cook the ramen, my goal in life is to become Hokage and make everyone recognized me for who I am and not what I am." The last part caused the others to show confused looks on their faces. With the same uninterested look as before, he then pointed at Sakura-chan.

"Haruno Sakura, I like a certain someone." she shot a loving glance over at Sasuke who completely ignored it. "Things I hate... Ino pig and..." she then looked over at me. "Naruto!" I let out a loud sigh and did what Sasuke did. Not to mimic him or anything, it just was the shocking fact that this girl was really starting to wear on my nerves. "And my goal is... well..." Yet again she looked over at Sasuke who continued to ignore her and that was when Kakashi-sensei decided to end things and move on to Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke. I like nothing... I hate my brother... I will kill my brother and rebuild the Uchiha clan." Dull and straight forward as usual.

Now with all of us introduced, Kakashi-sensei stood up and dusted himself off.

"We will meet at Training Ground 11 at 5:00 in the morning. Oh... and skip breakfast."

"Is that it for the day?" I asked. It seemed this jounin was not fit to be our sensei but that would yet be another thing I would just have to deal with it.

Kakashi nodded and then shushin-ed leaving a small tornado of wind in his absence.

"Now what?" Sakura-chan asked. I shrugged and went toward the left while Sasuke went to the right leaving Sakura-chan by herself.

**'We should do some training today and I won't go too hard on you since you have to be up so early in the morning.'**

_'Ok, so what's the plan?'_

**'First on the agenda is a change of taste in clothes.'**

_'Huh?'_

**'Only a baka ninja would wear orange while on a dangerous mission. One of the main points about being a ninja is not being seen. Not to stick out.'**

_'But you wear blue and it sticks out just as much almost.'_ I mentally whined which was a mistake on my part. She sent a crushing blow to my head.

**'Baka, only you can see me!'**

_'But ojii-san bought me this outfit when I first enrolled in the academy!'_ She sent another crushing blow to my head with the other fist.

**'Time for you to grow up, baka!'**

_**Even though she could only communicate with me in my subconscious, somehow she always managed to inflict damage on me when she was pissed off.**_

_'Gomen... What did you have in mind then?'_

After about an hour and a half of her dragging me around different shops and having said shop force me to pay ridiculous amounts when it would have been a lot cheaper for normal people, we were finally done and it was time for us to head back to my apartment. Instead of putting them on right away, she had me get ready for training instead. So, we headed to the outskirts of the village where the forest connected to the village when it got darker.

_'Are you ready to start yet? This wait is killing me...'_

**'Shut up... Now I want you to create a Kage Bunshin.'**

_'What's that going to do?'_ She let out a loud sigh and glared at me.

**'Just do it, baka!'**

_'Fine, fine.'_

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" After performing the hand sign and yelling the name. a puff of smoke appeared revealing a second me.

**'How do you feel?'**

_'Hungry.'_

**'Baka!'** She sent another powerful blow to my head, sending me crashing to the ground. **'Would you act serious for once! How do you feel chakra-wise?'**

_'Owww... Fine!'_

**'Now I want you to order your clone to perform the Ikioi Juuten Jutsu.'**

_'That jutsu takes too long to work and the scroll said it would shorten my life each time I use it.'_

**'Only if **_**'you'**_** use it baka, your clone is another story.'**

_'Oh... Hai!'_ My clone crouched down and began to perform the 22 signs it took to use this jutsu and then called out "Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu!" A small 'ping' noise was made as my clone chakra began to glow.

**'Good, now I want you to summon more clones, use almost all your chakra but leave enough for your second clone to stay focus on building up his chakra. And then fight each other.'**

_'Nani?! That's near impossible!'_

**'Just do it and with your chakra reserve you should have more than enough to keep this up. While you are fighting, you must also keep your mind focused on both the battle in front of you and controlling your clone while it draws in more chakra.'**

_'Yeah... Easier said than done.'_

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" With a puff of smoke there were easily around thirty clones ready to do battle with me. I entered an defensive stance and reached for one of my kunai from my pouch.

**'Oh, and one more thing, you must stay calm... If you lose your temper you will lose control of your second clone and I will make you do everything all over again.'**

_'Nani!'_

**'That is the whole point of this exercise, kit. One is to teach you why the Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu when combined with the Kage Bushin no Jutsu is a forbidden and deadly jutsu. Two, to teach you how to properly perform two or more jutsu and control their effects at the same time. And most importantly, three, to teach you that regardless of your opponent's ability, the ninja who has the calmer mind will win. Arrogance, self doubt, self pity, anger, and overlooking your opposition will lead to your death. A shinobi must be emotionless in battle regardless of the situation. Remember this kit and you will be nearly unbeatable. Now get to work!'**

Doing this was no easy task for me. It took well over twenty times before I could fully control the second clone, fight off the other clones and stay calm. The mental strain was almost unbearable, not to mention the look of enjoyment Kyuubi was giving me made things even worse. As if she enjoyed my pain. Finally, I had managed to defeat all thirty of my clones and keep the second one from disappearing and I collapsed to the ground.

_'I thought you said you were going to take it easy on me?'_ I was staring directly up at the stars as I fought to stay conscious.

**'I did. Cancel your jutsu now.'** I did as I was told since I was far too tired to argue with her. As I did, I felt a lot of my chakra return to me and my body quickly felt they way it was after the fourth time I tried this training.

**'How do you feel now?'**

_'I feel great! Still a little tired though.'_

**'You would have felt brand new if you would have did things right the first time.'**

_'How come I don't feel as tired as I used to?'_

**'That's the beauty of the Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu. When a human uses it, it can instantly revitalize them but they lose over 10 percent of what's left of their life force. But when a clone uses it, the only side effects is the clone will lose the same amount of chakra that it has built up using the jutsu. Meaning you will only receive around 80 to 90 of the chakra that it has stored for you. '**

_'If that's the only side effect, why doesn't everyone use this jutsu combo?'_

**'Two reasons, kit, one is because not everyone has anywhere near the amount of chakra that you and I share. Right now, you've mostly been using your reserves but as you gain more control over chakra, I will slowly teach you how to mould mine as well. Right now, even a fraction of my chakra could kill you.'** It sent a shiver down my spine just thinking about how strong she truly was. **'The second reason is because of the mental strain it causes when you perform both of the jutsu as a combo. Not only do you need to stay focused while someone is trying to kill you but you also must have a strong will to survive. The Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu itself is enough to fracture a young shinobi's mind. I still surprise a baka like you was able to learn it. The amount of concentration needed to perform this jutsu correctly makes it difficult for almost any jounin. I only heard of one of the sannin being capable of performing a jutsu that was similar.'**

_'I see...'_

**'But you are far from ready to use this combo in battle. You must have complete control over your emotions before I will allow you to freely use it. Now lets get you home kit so you will be ready for whatever that lazy sensei of yours has planed.'**

I nodded my head and pushed myself up off the ground. I didn't bother to comment because I was still in shock about what these jutsu combos could do for me once I mastered it and what else did the Kyuubi had in store for me if this was 'light' training.

**'Oh, and another thing, this little training we had today will be our warm up and ending training once we really get started.'**

I paled at the thought of really getting started. The walk back home was like any other walk for me. The villagers who were still out and about gave me their death glares and whispered the word 'demon' to others, but my mind was too absorbed with what just happened. This was the first time I 'truly' felt like my dream, no, my goal could be achieved. I was so caught in my thoughts that I did not realize that I had made it home already until I was laying on my bed.

Morning arrived as soon as I closed my eyes, at least it felt that way. I decided to wear my new attire that day just to see what kind of looks I would get, not to mention that I had to get use to fighting in it.

I was the last one to arrive at the bridge and I noticed the strange look I received from both Sasuke and Sakura.

"Naruto? Is that you? You look..."

Thanks to Kyuubi, I had replaced my original orange and blue jump suit with dark blue soldier pants, an all black tank top that fit tightly against my chest, a sleeveless long jacket that matched the style the Yondaime wore, except navy blue and no sleeves. And two black leather sleeves that extended to my shoulders almost connecting to my tank top. Like my tank top they fitted tightly against my arms almost like a second skin. Kyuubi said there was a reason why she wanted me to wear it this way instead of just buying a similar coat with sleeves. Unlike my orange jumpsuit, my ninja pouch was inside the jacket, which I liked a lot more, along with several pockets and straps for scrolls and larger weapons.

"Not bad, dobe." Sasuke forced out.

"Where's Kakashi-sensei? I thought I was late."

I looked over at Sakura and noticed she was still at a loss for words. She quickly snapped out of it.

"Don't know... Hopefully he will be here soon."

And so we waited... and waited... and... waited. It was now nine in the morning and all three of us were very irritated to say the least. Finally, he showed up.

"Hey, guys."

"You're LATE!" Both me and Sakura-chan yelled.

"Gomen, I was walking to the training ground and a black cat crossed my path. So I had to take the long way to get here." That was probably one of the most dumb excuses I had ever heard in my life. Before me and Sakura-chan could say anything else, he quickly got serious and pulled out two bells.

"Before we get started on any mission, I have a test of my own for you. See these two bells?" He dangled them in front of us as if he was taunting us. "Each bell is a guarantee of your graduation to genuine status."

"But we have already graduated from the academy." Sakura-chan was the first to speak but all three of us were thinking it.

"Yes, but that was only the first part of a two-part test. That was the easy part. I am your sensei and your superior so I hold the final say if you are truly up to being a shinobi of Konohagakure. And also, I have lunch for the two who manage to succeed this mission." All of our stomachs growled, it now was easy to see why he told us not to eat breakfast.

"But there are only two bells and there're three of us. Does that mean that one of us will not pass?" I asked.

Even though the majority of his face was covered it was easy to tell that he was smiling.

"You can use any force, it's best to try to kill..."

Before he could finish, I was already in his face with a kunai in hand but to my surprise, he had caught it easily with his left hand. I should have suspected it, since he was a jounin.

"Me... I see this one already has the right mind set, I might actual grow to like you guys if you keep this up. You have until noon to capture the bells or you all fail."

I couldn't help but to smile at the semi compliment I had just received. With that said, we all dashed in opposite directions into the trees.

_'Hey baka kitsune.'_ She let out a frustrated groan at her nickname.

**'Stop calling me that, gaki.'**

_'Any suggestions on how do I manage to snag one of those bells?'_

**'Use the others for help.'**

_'Huh?'_ She released out another groan.

**'How dense are you, kit? Find the other two and ask them for help. A shinobi is only good as its team.'**

I sighed and set out to find the other two. I guessed that it was better than facing him myself, he had already showed that he could do away with me easily.

**II**

Kakashi finally decided to show himself as he shushin-ed in the middle of a clearing. Unbeknownst to Naruto and the others, no one had yet pass Kakashi's test and was forced to repeat a year in the academy. Many of the other jounin felt the reason was because he truly did not want to lead a group of genin and made the test too hard for anyone to pass. But the truth was that Kakashi of all people knew the true meaning of teamwork and knew of the dangers one faced on missions when one's teamwork was not in fine tune. Because of this, he refused to take on genin who did not know the meaning of the word. In which this 'team', seemed to be no different.

Suddenly, Naruto appeared in front of him with a small grin on his face. Kakashi just looked at him as if expecting him to do something but was caught off guard when he did the opposite. He just sat down and continued to look at him.

"You do know there is a time limit to this test, right?" Kakashi asked.

"Hai!"

"So are you going to do something about it?"

"Hai!"

The strange blond had caused Kakashi's eyebrow to perk up in a questioning look. He then decided to ignore him and pulled out his favorite book, Icha Icha Paradise. After what felt like two and a half hours had passed, Naruto was still in the same spot with the same expression on his face.

"You don't care if you pass, do you?"

"You don't care if I don't, do you?"

He shrugged and went back to his book, in the back of his head he was wondering what were the other two up to. He passively waved it off which was his biggest mistake. He glanced back up at Naruto from his book and notice he was still smiling. He glanced back down at his book and a few minutes later back up and there were now ten different Naruto's looking up at him in the same position.

_'So he knows the bunshin jutsu, did not expect him to know that one. Looks like he is finally going to make his move. Now, which one is the real one?'_

All ten Naruto's leapt up at the same time and began their attack against Kakashi. With his book still in his hand he decided to ignore the first attack since the first one is always a feint for the real one when an amateur is using the Bushin no Jutsu, but to his dismay the first attack was solid and hard, and so was the second, and the third.

_'A Kage Bushin? This kid can perform that jutsu? I really underestimated him.'_

The fourth attacker was easily countered and tossed into the fifth Naruto, causing both to disperse in puffs of smoke. Kakashi turned around just in time to catch Naruto reaching for his bells and sent a heavy blow to the side of his head, causing him to disperse as well. Kakashi easily dealt with the remaining Narutos but they all turned out to be clones as well.

_'So where's the real one?'_

Suddenly, a kunai was sent flying right through the string that kept the bells tied to his pants. He turned around to see Sasuke in a mad dash toward him with four shuriken in each hand. He leaped into the air and tossed all eight at Kakashi, who easily deflected all while still reading his book.

_'I guess its getting close to crunch time since they're going all out to get these bells. At least they are using teamwork.'_

Suddenly a streak of pink flew by almost unnoticed by him. That was when he noticed his bells were gone and everything became clear to him. The Naruto that was in front of him for almost three hours was just a clone assigned to keep him occupied and to annoy him a little while they worked out a plan. Naruto's attack was to keep him focused on him while Sasuke launched his kunai at the opportune time cutting the string that held the bells to his pants. Then with Sasuke now on the offensive and Kakashi still wondering when the real Naruto was going to reveal himself, Sakura took the chance she had to sweep in and grab the bells from the ground while Kakashi was not looking. A well played plan but they had forgot one important thing, Kakashi was not a jounin by accident.

"Yes! We did it, and just in time to!" Sakura yelled out as she held both bells in her hand. She was about to run over to hand Sasuke the second bell when she felt a hand grab her. A puff of smoked appeared and there was Kakashi, he had henge-d himself into a bells and placed himself on a Kage Bushin of his own to confuse them into thinking he was the real one. Now there was just one thing missing, where was the 'real' Naruto? As if on cue, another puff of smoke appeared around Sakura revealing the 'real' Naruto as the 'real' Sakura quickly reached for the 'real' Kakashi's bells. She almost grabbed them but she was just too slow. Looking up at the sun, Kakashi realized that it was already noon. They had failed the test which was apparent by the looks on their faces.

"Congratulations, you all past with flying colours."

"Nani?!" All three genin yelled.

"This exercise was to see how well you three could work as a team, and despite your differences you still managed to 'almost' steal the bells twice. If you would have tried to take me on one on one, you wouldn't have even gotten close to the bells. Who planned was this, by the way?"

The other two reluctantly glanced over at Naruto as if they refused to believe it was true. It seemed this 'new' Naruto was a lot more intelligent than the old.

"You have the rest of the day to yourselves. Meet here at seven o'clock to be briefed on your very first mission." He then made the face that sort of looked like he was smiling and then shushin=ed away. The three now 'official' genin were still in shock after what had just happened until Naruto realized something.

"Where's our launch?!"

"Guess he lied about that..." Sasuke said.

They soon parted ways, well, sort of, with Sakura chasing after Sasuke like she usually did.

**III**

**'Good job kit, wasn't expecting you to come up with such a good plan.'**

_'Heh... Neither was I.'_

**'I guess even baka have their smart moments.'**

_'You don't know how to give a good compliment, do you?'_

**'Never really had to... Don't think just because you passed your final test that we are going to skip training today. Today we get serious..'**

_'Oh great...'_

_**The Kyuubi was really beginning to rub off on me: I was actually thinking instead of acting only. But that was also due to the fact that I was also tired of playing the fool to get noticed by everyone. I was always a lot more intelligent then what I led on. That baka kitsune just gave me more than a reason to start showing it. That day marked the start of meaningful changes for me, but none bigger than what Kyuubi had planned for me later that day...**_  
**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**I decided to add a jutsu dictionary since I will be creating new jutsu.

- **Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu**: Art of Energy Replenish (Direct Translation) Absorbs the chakra from the nature around the user and replenishes their low chakra reserve but drain their life force as an exchange.


	4. Chapter 4: The Dangers That Lie Beneath

**Author's Notes: ****What it do again. I made a few changes to the previous chapters like grammar and typos. So thank you all for reading my story thus far. I will try to keep my updates pretty speedy, the reason for the delay on this on was because of Thanksgiving. Going to try to shoot for a chapter every three to four days (dont kill if me if i fall off) Hope you enjoy this chapter and the rest.**

**Update 11/7/08: Revised**

**Immanence**  
Chapter Four: The Dangers that Lie Beneath the Waves

_**It was nightfall and once again I was in the outskirts of the village, getting ready to continue my harsh training with the most powerful yokai to ever roam the face of the earth. If you asked me if I was looking forward to it, I would have not been able to give you a straight answer due to the mixed emotions I felt. After learning the Ikioi Juuten/Kage Bunshin combo, I was looking forward to what else she was going to teach me, but I also knew the training was going to be the toughest one I would most likely go through my entire life.**_

**'Don't just stand there looking like an idiot, kit! You know what you have to do!'**

I let out a loud sigh and performed the Kage Bushin no Jutsu. The first clone began to perform the Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu and ran off in the distance leaving me and the rest of my clones to do battle once again. Unlike before where it took me twenty times to complete it only took eleven times, which more chakra returning to me thanks to the Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu and my clone.

**'Good job kit... Now I need you to kneel down for a moment and take off you left sleeve.'**

_'Why do you need me to do that?'_ She released a frustrated growl and glared at me.

**'Just do what I say with no questions asked!'**

_'Fine... sheesh, didn't know female demons had periods too.'_

_**One thing I should have learned from Kyuubi was how to keep quiet when a woman was in a bad mood...**_

Before I even realized it, I was face down on the ground with a very painful bump on my head.

_'Gomen...'_

She decided to take advantage of my position and took my left sleeve off for me and then grabbed my arm.

**'Now, Naruto, this will hurt like hell and I am apologizing ahead of time to you. This may be the worst pain you have ever felt in your life but you must not scream or you will alarm the ANBU. Now prepare yourself kit.'**

Before I could voice my complaints, she gripped my arm tightly and began to send her chakra directly into it. The pain was so immense that I nearly bit my tongue off trying to stop from screaming. Tears began to roll down my cheeks as what felt like lava ran through all the nerves and veins of my left arm. She grabbed my head with her other hand gently and whispered to me that its almost over. When I was about to past out from the pain everything suddenly stopped, but the pain removed all the feeling I had in my arm.

**'There...that wasn't so bad now was it?'**

_'THE FUCK IT WASN'T!'_

**'Naruto, what did I tell you about yelling?'** She said in a cool and calm voice as if she felt bad for me. I took in a deep breath and released it to help calm myself down. That ordeal was easily among the worst in my life. She quietly slipped the leather sleeve back on my arm. I tried to move my left arm again but the feeling had yet to return to it. It almost felt like it had died.

_'What did you do to me?'_

**'Just call it an...awakening.'**

_'Huh?'_

**'What I did was imbue some of my chakra into your left arm, causing it to go numb for a week.'**

_'A week! And that still doesn't answer my question!'_

**'If you hadn't interrupted, I would have continued... Now, one thing you did not know about yourself is that you have a very powerful wind affinity. The only problem is, you wouldn't have been able to access it until you are a teenager due to amount of chakra you have now. Yes, it is a lot, more than a high level jounin but still not enough. The strange thing about that is even I haven't heard of such a case. Normally it would not matter but your case is special.'**

_'What does that have to do with my arm...?'_

**'I am getting to that, kit. Basically, I had to force my chakra in to give you enough for me to begin training you to use your wind affinity. But it will take a week before you can use your left arm again. It will take your body that long to adjust to the chakra I added.'**

_'NANI! Then what am I going to do in the meantime?'_

**'Everything we normally do. I am going to use this to teach you how to perform all of your jutsu by using just one hand.'**

_'Impossible! You know as well as I do that I suck at chakra control!'_

**'Which leads us to another reason I want you to learn how to fight this way. And we are going to start with another technique that works well with the Kage Bushin. Bushin Irekae no Jutsu, it allows you to replace the real you with one of your clones or vice versa. Another jutsu that would work well with you.'**

_'How do you expect me to use it with only one arm!'_

**'With a lot of practice and a lot of patience.'**

_**The rest of that night was hell to me. I was forced to do the impossible and learn this new jutsu, which was not an easy task. It involved more concentration than the Kage Bushin/Ikioi Juuten combo, because I had to focus on the chakra signature of each individual clone and channel my chakra to the one that I was going to switch with. And to make things worse, that damned baka kitsune made me focus on that technique while still having a clone hide and draw in chakra using the Ikioi Juuten. I had the largest headache ever after that night and this was to become the norm for me for the next seven days. Luckily for me, but annoying at the same time, team seven was forced to do a bunch of annoying d-ranked missions. One of the many things I hated about being a genin. We went from baby-sitting kids, to housekeeping, to walking dogs, to even washing old people... The genin were forced to do the jobs no one wanted, which wore on both us and Kakashi-sensei.**_

Finally the seventh day had passed and I could feel the life return to my left arm. I had dodged all the questions concerning my arm by telling them that I was teaching myself how to do all the seals using only my right hand, and that I refused to use my left arm as punishment until I had everything down. To my surprise, after seven days of doing it non-stop, I had mastered all three of my jutsu and was able to perform them using one hand for the seals. Now, I just needed to work on the speed in which it took for me to do so. The seventh day turned out to be Saturday, which Kakashi-sensei decided to give us the day off. Waking up that morning was the last thing I wanted, but Kyuubi had other plans.

**'Wake up, kit.'**

_"No, sensei...I don't want to wash baa-chan's back. Why am I always stuck with the worst jobs...?"_

**'Wake up... kit.'**

_"I don't care if she likes me! She's way too old and I'm too young for that!"_

**'NARUTO!'**

Kyuubi's voice burst through my nightmare and made me to almost leap out of my bed.

**'Now that I finally have your attention, it's time for us to continue our training.'** I glanced over at my alarm clock and noticed that it was only four in the morning.

_'Can it wait till later? I really need this day off...'_

**'Sorry, kit, got to make sure that ritual of mine worked on you.'**

_'Ritual? You never said anything about a ritual.'_

**'Sorry if I didn't... The seal the Yondaime created when he sealed me within you completely separated my youkai chakra from yours to keep you pure. I had to forcefully place some of my chakra within your chakra system without killing you. So I made a little seal of my on.'**

_'Nani?'_

I pulled the sheets back and glance over at my left arm and noticed a line of symbols snaking around my arm and stopping at my wrist making a complete circle around it. Now I knew why she wanted me to buy those sleeves. I slowly lifted it to get a closer look at the symbols but they seemed to be of a different language because I could not understand them.

**'How does your arm feel?'**

_'Feels fine... Nice to finally be able to move it again.'_ I said as I lifted my arm and began to stretch it.

**'Good, now get dressed and lets get this training on the road. I have a lot to teach you about your wind affinity, kit.'**

_'Great... I can't wait'_ I said in a sarcastic tone.

**'You won't be feeling this way after you see what you can do.'**

After grabbing my clothes and a bathing towel, a slowly walked into the bathroom. I flicked on the light and began to study my left arm and the interesting tattoo the Kyuubi gave me. Snapping out of my trance, I turned the shower on and jumped in. I could already tell today was going to be a long day.

Upon reaching our normal training spot, she had me start off with my usual warm up. This time it only took me once to defeat all the clones while staying focused on my second clone using the Ikioi Juuten and keeping tabs on all the clones' chakra signatures using the Irekae Bushin, just in case I wanted to switch places. Not to mention that all the jutsu were performed using only my right hand. It seems her 'ritual' had also given me better control over my chakra.

**'Good job, kit! That's what I like to see, progress!'** It wasn't usual that I received praise from the youkai, so she must have been proud of me.** 'Now lets start the real practice. The real reason why I wanted you out here early is because this task may take several hours if not days to truly complete.'**

_'And how did I know you would drop another bomb on me?'_ I groaned sarcastically. _'What do I have this time, baka kitsune?'_

**'Simple, baka, use your chakra to cut every leaf on that tree over there.'** I gave her a blank stare and she matched mine with one of annoyance. We continued to stare at each other with the same expressions.

_'You're serious, aren't you!'_

**'There's a hidden trick behind you Kage Bushin, which I thought you had read in that scroll, but I guess I gave you too much credit...'** I continued my blank stare not knowing what she was talking about. She sighed and continued on. **'The Kage Bushin is also a quick tool to learn information by being in multiple places at once. Everything your clone learns is transferred back to you when you cancel the jutsu, one of the primary reasons why it became a forbidden jutsu. This technique is perfect for espionage missions but it can also be used to decrease the amount of time it took to learn something.'**

_'Oh...'_ She let out another groan.

**'Meaning, if you and your clones try this out, it will divide the time it would normally take you by the number of clones.'**

_'Oh! Makes sense now!'_

**'Kami, you're slow!'**

I shrugged off her last remark, too excited to try this new technique in learning jutsu. If I had known this earlier, I would had learned the majority of the jutsu in that scroll already after learning the Kage Bushin.

**'But it also causes great strain on the brain and like the combos I taught you, it takes a lot of concentration. That's the main reason why I had you learn the combos first before we took these steps.'**

I took in her warning and quickly tossed it to the side. Regardless of the pain, I was going to use this for a majority of things from now on. It took me three hours to figure out how to manipulate my chakra with that of the wind where it would have normally taken me a couple of years. Now it was time to move on to the real step.

_'So, what's next?'_

**'Someone's finally eager this morning.'**

_'Yeah, well, let's just say I finally saw the light in your rigorous training from hell.'_

**'Heh... Next is a technique that should be easy even for a baka like you. Take out two kunai.'**

_'Hold up.'_

**'Why?'**

_'You'll see.'_ I said with a huge smirk on my face. I performed the Kage Bushin no Jutsu creating ten more clones, each taking out two more kunai.

**'I see you are finally catching on. I want you to now mould your chakra and the wind into the kunai. It should create some kind of blade once you succeed.'**

_'Why would I want to add wind chakra to something that's already a weapon?'_

**'Because without it you can only cut through thin objects. With it, you can cut through boulders.'**

_'Oh! Lets get started, then!'_

This task proved to be easier said than done. It took me nearly the remainder of the day to master this technique. But upon finally completing it, the over exertion of my chakra and mental strain had caused me to pass out from exhaustion. When I woke up, it was raining while Kyuubi was sitting down next to me.

_'Neat trick, what do you call it?'_ I said as I stretched and yawned. Without looking at me, she just shrugged.

**'Dunno, just thought it would be a cool thing to experiment with.'**

_'Hmmm... Normally I would yell at you, but since it worked I will just let it slide.'_

**'You better! So what are we going to call it, kit?'**

_'I'm thinking Kazekaiken.'_

**'Not bad... I like it.'**

_'You better!'_ She looked down at me and began to laugh. It was not one of her sinister laughs but a real one, which was quite cute. It caused me to laugh at the irony of the strongest and darkest youkai of them all having such a cute and innocent laugh.

_**That was one of the first times we shared a laugh together and not at each other. Those were the few things I missed about Kyuubi. The very few things... So, perfecting my Kazekaiken became a part of my daily warm up before I went on my exciting d-ranked missions until one day I just had enough. I let the old man know it as well.**_

**II**

There we stood, in the Assignments office awaiting our next mission. You could easily tell we were tired of all the kiddy missions we were being sent on. Finally ojii-san pulled out a piece of paper and looked over at us while taking a puff from his pipe.

"Your next mission will be rescuing an owner's ca..."

"No!" I interrupted.

"No what, Naruto?" Ojii-san asked with an annoyed look on his face.

"I refused to go on any more of these petty missions! Give us something with a challenge!" Iruka-sensei, who was also there, decided to step in.

"Naruto, know your place. You must not talk back to Sandaime-sama that way. Plus, you are not ready to go any tougher missions." Iruka-sensei said.

"That's where you're wrong, Iruka-sensei! We are more than ready for a real mission!" It was easy to tell that everyone else in team seven including Kakashi-sensei was feeling the same way about this matter.

"Naruto..."

"Very well." Ojii-san interrupted Iruka-sensei.

"But Sandaime-sama..." Ojii-san raised his hand as to wave Iruka-sensei off.

"It just so happens that I have a c-ranked escort mission heading into the Wave Country. Your job would be to protect the master bridge builder until he completes the bridge. Please let Tazuna-san in."

Everyone turned to the door to catch a glance at the older man who was wearing a rice hat, dingy green top with gray pants and looked to be in his early fifties. He glanced over the room until his eyes landed on me and he frowned a little.

"So this is the team of shinobi that's supposed to protect me? Looks like I was better off defending myself then hiring these punks..." He had already started off on the wrong foot with me as my patience was about to break. "And you even threw in a midget in an overcoat as well." And that... was the last straw for me.

"That's it! I'm killing this old bastard!" I yelled as I leaped at him with my kunai in hand, but I was caught in mid-air by Kakashi-sensei effortlessly.

"Naruto... don't kill the person we have been hired to protect." Kakashi-sensei said in his usual lazy tone.

"Yeah, Naruto. You have to act more like a professional if you want be a great shinobi, baka!" Sakura-chan added. Tazuna looked over at Sakura-chan and pointed.

"Oh! And we even have a pink flat-chested wannabe ninja as well!" Tazuna yelled. That caused Sakura to yell and leap trying to kill him too, but Kakashi-sensei managed to catch her with his free hand while still holding me back.

"At least I have two quality bodyguards... What are we waiting for! Lets get this show on the road!" Tazuna chimed in. I finally calmed down and freed myself from Kakashi-sensei's grip and stormed out of the room.

"Fine!"

The rest were quick to follow me as we were ordered to go grab supplies for our journey to Wave. When everyone was done, we met at the main entrance packed and ready. I was excited because this was going to be my very first time leaving the village and the Fire Country. So excited that it was easy to tell that I was.

"Why are you smiling so much, gaki?" Tazuna decided to ask in his annoying tone. I decided to be nice just in case he was trying to be nice as well.

"Well, this is my very first time leaving the village and I'm really looking forward to this trip."

"Never thought you would be this pathetic, gaki."

"Nani! You're definitely going to di..."

"Naruto..." Kakashi-sensei had caught me right when I was about to punch the old man in the back.

**'I really want to kill that man...'**

_'Finally we agree on something.'_

**'You should kill him and then create a clone and henge it to him until we get to wave.'**

_'You know I can't do that!'_

**'You really are no fun, kit.'**

For the most part, the trip was very boring and uneventful but anything was better than all the previous missions we were going on. Putting up with that bastard's taunts seemed like a walk in the park when compared to bathing old folks... But that quickly changed when I began to have a strange feeling the closer we got to our destination. As we were walking, I noticed a puddle in the middle of the road on a 'very' sunny day. I glanced over at Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke and it seemed they had already picked up on this as well. That was when I silently put my counter plan in motion by performing a few seals in my coat pocket. I knew I was going to need this plan for some reason.

**III**

As team seven with Tazuna walked past the puddle, two nukenin leapt out of it. The first quickly dashed towards Sakura and Tazuna. That is where she did the very last thing the team needed her to do at that time, freeze up. She was so caught up in her own fear that she could not move. Even her breath became trapped within her throat as her eyes played over and over her life as she waited for her imminent death. That is until Naruto stepped in. At the very last second, the very second where Sakura decided to blink, Naruto had appeared in front of them and took the blow that was originally meant for her from the nukenin's claw.

"NARUUUTTTTOOOOO!!"

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared around Naruto as he puffed out of existence.

_'A bunshin?'_ Sakura asked herself holding back the tears that were pressing her to release.

Just as quickly as he had disappeared, a 'new' Naruto appeared behind the nukenin with two kunai in each hand. The nin quickly countered Naruto's counter attack and returned with one of his own with his claw. The second nukenin took this time to charge at Tazuna since he was alone, this time Sakura was ready as she leaped in front of Tazuna ready for anything. But just like before, someone leaped in front of her, this time it was Sasuke.

"Guard Tazuna-san, I will take care of this one." Sasuke said to Sakura as he deflected the second nukenin's attack.

Sakura nodded and watched as Sasuke began to dodge several attacks from the nukenin. She glanced back at Naruto and noticed he was having a hard time with his opponent.

_'There is no way Naruto can defeat this guy. Where the hell is Kakashi-sensei!?'_ Inner Sakura yelled. Suddenly she heard Naruto yell something.

"Kazekaiken!" I swoosh of wind blew through her hair and twirl around Naruto's two kunai until a slate coloured chakra slid down the kunai, forming three feet blades in each hand made of chakra.

_'What is that?! When did he learn that!?'_ Inner Sakura asked.

Naruto had both blades of chakra angled towards the ground and using his height, or lack of, to his advantage easily got within the nukenin's comfort zone and forced him to defend instead of attack, causing him to focus mostly on his oppressor, which proved to be his very last mistake. Suddenly, a 'second' Naruto appeared from behind the nukenin and stabbed his 'blade' into the nukenin's neck, killing him instantly as blood sprayed in every direction, mostly on Naruto. Sakura caught a glimpse of Naruto's face and saw something she would have never thought was possible on Naruto.

His face was completely emotionless even with the blood on it.

Sakura looked back over at Sasuke's direction and noticed he was finished with his fight as well, but his opponent was only knocked unconscious. Sakura stood there in disbelief, she knew Sasuke was a lot stronger than her but she had no clue how strong Naruto truly was. He could even be stronger than Sasuke, which said person noticed as well, since he was shooting a heavy glare over at the blond mystery. When did Naruto get so strong? And she also never would have imagined those two being strong enough to kill/knock out enemy shinobi who were on a chuunin level. She truly had been left in the dust as her two teammates soared to the skies. She also noticed that this was when their true rivalry had started since Sasuke was able to witness some of Naruto's fight. Sasuke himself was beginning to wonder who was stronger.

During the time of the two fights Kakashi was watching with great interest from tree that stood over the road. He wanted to see who their attackers true target was before he countered. He did not expect two of his genin to defeat the chuunin level nukenin, but to say he was very proud of them was a huge understatement. He leaped down from the tree and walked over to Tazuna.

"Now Tazuna-san, I want you to answer me truthfully here. This matter is very important. Why did you lie about the level of mission this would be? The reason why I chose to stay out of this fight was to see who they were after. It is normal for rival shinobi to attack one another but it seemed they were after you only. And if shinobi on a scale of chuunin are involved, that only means there must at least be one jounin level shinobi as well among their ranks. Which jumps this mission from a class C to a class A. Now tell me why I shouldn't cancel this mission and head home."

Tazuna let out a load sigh and began to tell them the truth. The reason why the completion of the bridge was so important was because the owner of a shipping company that had moved in, Gato, had barred the majority of import and trade with other counties due to his excessive amount of tax charges, making it almost impossible to get what the people needed to survive. So the bridge would reopen trade with neighbouring countries, saving the people of the Wave, but also putting a huge dent in Gato's pocket. So, he hired a bunch of mercenaries and nukenin to take out the bridge builders so he would not have to worry about that.

Tazuna then begged Kakashi to continue the mission since his country did not have enough money to pay Konohagakure for a A-ranked mission. Kakashi decided to continue but only because of the strength Naruto and Sasuke showed during their fights. He could tell they were not going all out. He could easily have the strongest team among the rookie nine and he was eager to watch them show more of their potential.

Suddenly, a puff of smoke appear as Naruto's clone disappeared and Naruto collapsed to his knees. Sakura rushed over to aid him.

"What's wrong, Naruto?"

"I... I... can't believe I just killed that guy..."

"Don't worry about that, Naruto, you did a good job." Kakashi added in as he walked over towards him.

"But there could have been another way around it that I..." Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's head and ruffled his hair a little bit.

"I understand how you feel, Naruto, but this comes with the job. We are trained to kill and you were placed in a situation where you were forced to or you would've lost your life. To kill or be killed. That is the life of a shinobi." Naruto looked up at his sensei and Kakashi sent him a smiling gesture.

"Now lets move on, we still have a ways to go."

**IV**

_**I was still kinda shook up from the fact that I had just got my first kill of what would seem like many. But that first kill stood with me for my entire life.**_

**'Good job, kit. You even surprised me with that last move.'**

_'Well, I am glad you enjoyed the show.'_ I said in a monotone voice.

**'Look, kit, your sensei said it best. Don't dwell on the matters too much or it'll eat you alive.'**

_'Hai.'_

I could tell that Kyuubi was concerned but did not want to press matters. This was definitely going to be something I would have to get over myself. I was so caught in my own thoughts that I almost did not notice the very large sword that was launched at me after travelling for a few hours. It seemed as if my instincts took over for me when I instantly ducked, the gigantic blade nearly shaved the top part of my hair. I quickly reached in my coat pouch for my kunai but Kakashi waved me off.

"Stand down, this one will be my fight." Kakashi-sensei said.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Looks to be the infamous copy-nin of the Leaf." A foreign voice said from the direction of where the blade was thrown.

"And it looks like we also have infamous Momochi Zabuza, one of the former members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist." Kakashi-sensei replied with the same tone.

Out of the woods came a man who looked to be around six feet in height wearing black pants, no shirt, and two white arm warmers that went up to his elbows. He was also wearing a shinobi mask that covered his mouth and nose.

This was the first time I'd seen a jounin battle and to say that I was beyond amazed was an understatement. Kakashi-sensei lowered the right side of his mask, revealing his Sharigan. The speed they were moving and performing jutsu was incredible. I was measuring my current ability level to what I was seeing from them and I could tell Sasuke was doing the same. In the end, Kakashi-sensei and his Sharigan was far too much for Zabuza, as he was defeated with his own techniques thanks to the Sharigan. The blow from the jutsu sent Zabuza crashing to the trunk of a nearby tree. Kakashi-sensei leaped to a nearby branch and started to head in for the kill but he was beaten to the punch. Everybody glanced to the direction from where the senbon were thrown to see a hunter-nin who looked to be around the same age as us on another tree.

"Who are you?! Kazekaiken!" I yelled as I transformed my kunai into wind blades again.

"Naruto, look at his mask. He is a hunter-nin most likely from Kirigakure." Said Hunter-nin nodded to acknowledge what Kakashi-sensei said. He then leaped down from the tree and landed beside the dead body of Zabuza.

"Arigatou. It has been a long hunt for this one." He picked up Zabuza and bowed. And then he was gone. Kakashi-sensei let out a loud sigh and then collapsed on his back.

"Sensei!" Sakura-chan yelled and rushed over to him.

"What's wrong, sensei?" I asked.

"Just the side effects of the Sharigan. I won't be able to move properly for a few days." He said as he tried to keep his other eye open as he recovered his Sharigan. Sasuke lets out an annoyed sigh an walked over to Kakashi-sensei.

"So what do we do now?" Sasuke asked in a very annoyed tone.

"We continue the mission, I will be able to make it to the island, but you three will have to be on high alert."

"Hai!" We all said in unison.

The rest of the trip was long and hard. Me, Sasuke and even Tazuna took turns carrying Kakashi-sensei until we reached the ocean where a boat was waiting for us. It seemed after seeing us save his life, Tazuna decided to end his taunts towards me. The man piloting the boat told us all to be quiet because Gato could have his men hidden anywhere, waiting to attack but thanks to the mist it made it hard to see. When we finally made it to the island we headed straight for Tazuna's house to get some well deserved rest.

_**That trip was when I first started to truly notice the changes I was going through. At first, they were only subtle but soon they became large and very noticeable, but I was the last one to see it. I became a completely different person when I fought seriously, and it scared me. But our stay in the Wave Country would spark even more changes in me than the trip to it. Mentally, physically, and... emotionally. That was when I met the second female to alter my life as much as Kyuubi, if not more.**_

Techniques:  
- **Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu**: Art of Energy Replenish (Direct Translation) Absorbs the chakra from the nature around the user and replenishes their low chakra reserve but drain their life force as an exhange.  
- **Bushin Irekae no Jutsu**: Art of Clone Replacement (Direct Translation) Allows user to pin point the chakra siginatures of each of the clones the user creates and replace them with their own body or vice versa.  
- **Kazekaiken**: Wind Dagger


	5. Chapter 5: The Clouds Above the Waves

**Author Notes: My bad for the late chapter. Just moved out of my place and moved in with my friends and things got kinda hectic with time. But I hope you enjoy this one. Thanks for reading.**

**Update 11/07/08: Revised**

**Immanence**  
Chapter Five: The Clouds Above the Waves

**When we reached Tazuna's house, I was more than ready to get some well deserved sleep but my mind would not allow me such a luxury. My thoughts were riddled with my first kill. I had actually took another one's life and it was something that was very hard for me to deal with at that time. I was still young and never imagined the truth behind the life of a shinobi. This was the life style I had chosen and I would have to get over this if I wanted to accomplish my dreams.**

I walked outside of the house and sat on the dock staring at the sunset.

"Naruto?" I turned around to see who it was that called me. I was more than surprised to see Sakura-chan standing there with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you alright?" She asked me. I nodded and turned back to the sunset.

"I will be... hopefully." I replied still trying to get over the images of blood that ran through my mind.

"I never thanked you for saving me, Naruto. Arigatou!" She bowed as she said it and I smiled.

"You didn't have to. I do what I have to do to protect my teammates, even Sasuke-teme."

"Who said I needed your protection, dobe?" I was so stuck in thought that I didn't even notice the teme show up. Sakura-chan let out a cute giggle at the image of her two teammates who 'hated' each other communicate 'nicely'.

"You better not, or I'll never let you forget the time I saved your ass, teme." I said with my usual grin beginning to resurface.

"As if that would happen, it most likely will be the opposite." He replied with his smug smirk on his face. I stood up from the ground and stared at him with the same expression and he mimicked me with his own.

"Care to find out who truly will save who, teme?" I said as my grin grew wider.

"It seems the dobe can read minds now." He replied with a similar smirk. The tension between us began to grow as the stare down of death continued on with Sakura-chan stuck in the middle, watching everything from the sidelines. My hand slowly reached into my coat toward my weapon pouch as he slid in a defensive stance with his eyes deadlock on me. Now was the moment I had been waiting for, the chance to test out my new strength and abilities against the 'so called' strongest among the rookie nine. I sent him a deadly glare as a signal for us to begin, but that was when things were pulled to a halt.

"What are guys doing!? We are team-mates, we shouldn't be fighting. Especially with sensei down. Who knows when we are going to be attacked again!"

Sasuke stood up right as I retracted my hand from inside of my coat.

"You should thank her, dobe... She may have just saved your life." Sasuke said as he returned to his usual demeanour and began to walk towards the house. I sighed and glance up at the sunset once again.

"Why did you guys do that?" Sakura-chan asked. I looked over at her and shrugged.

"We got something to prove to ourselves, I guess. At least I do; I don't have the slightest clue what that teme is thinking and don't really care." I started to head back to the house but was stopped by Sakura-chan.

"You sure you are going to be ok, Naruto?" Sakura-chan asked with concern returning to her face. I nodded and put on my big goofy smile and headed in. As I entered the house, Tazuna told me that Kakashi-sensei wanted to speak with me alone. Wondering what this was about I entered the room where we had Kakashi-sensei resting from his chakra exhaustion.

"Yes, sensei?" I asked.

"Who taught you how to use your element affinity?"

**'Don't tell him, kit. Who knows what would happen if you did.'**

"I learned about them in the scroll of forbidden jutsu back when Mizuki tricked me into stealing it." I lied.

"I see... When did you summon your clone to follow us?" He asked.

"Back when we were packing for the trip. I actually made three clones and had one of them accompany you while I watched from a distant and the other two watched my back from a distance as well."

"I figured as much." He said. I look over at him with a questioning look.

"You're lying!"

"Why would I lie? I will admit that you are a lot smarter than what I originally gave you credit for, but I noticed your chakra spike a little when you first used the Bunshin Irekae, right before those two nukenin attacked; I also sensed the chakra signatures of your clones and the 'real' you when we left the village. You are talented Naruto, but you still have a ways to go." I smirked at the slight compliment I had just received.

"Isn't it your job to make it where I can't be discovered so easy?" He chuckled at my comment.

"And I am not going to ask you for the truth regarding how you 'really' learned your wind affinity, but I will tell you to be careful. Don't overdo it, Naruto." He said in his tired voice.

"Heh... Look who's talking." He rolled the eye that wasn't covered. I took that as my signal that our little 'meeting' was done. I exited the room and laid down on my mat in the next room and before I knew it I was asleep finally.

_**The next day would prove to be just as troubling as the previous for me; only in a different way, though.**_

Morning came too soon for me as I rolled over off my mat. My body had grown so used to waking up this early in the morning that it became automatic. I rose up and yawned as I stretched all the sleep out of my joints. Today I was going to patrol the bridge a little since Kakashi-sensei couldn't do it at the moment. It was around four in the morning when I was fully dressed and ready to leave when another voice startled me.

"Where are you going this late, Naruto?" It was Sakura-chan still half asleep looking up at me.

"Go back to sleep, Sakura-chan. I'm going to get a head start and explore the bridge and then get some training in before sunrise." I said in a whisper.

"Hold up, I'm going with you." She said as she started to get up.

"Huh? Why do you want to come?" I asked.

"For the same reasons you are. I'll go wake Sasuke-kun too."

"No... wait..." Before I could even argue, she was already off. I let out an annoyed sigh as I decided to wait for them.

**'I was going to give you the day off anyway.'** Kyuubi said out of the blue.

_'Sure you were.'_ I said in a very sarcastic tone.

**'Fine, then... don't believe me.'** She said in a pouty voice. I mentally rolled my eyes and continued to wait for my team-mates. Why they had to come, I had no idea. Suddenly, Sakura-chan and the teme appeared, ready to travel to the bridge.

"You know, you guys do not have to follow me..." I said in an obviously annoyed voice.

"Who else is going to keep you alive, dobe..." Sasuke said as he glared at me and Sakura-chan. Clearly he wasn't a morning person.

"Well, if that's the case, then try to keep up and don't get in my way if something does happen, teme.."

"Guys, don't start this now... Can't we get along just for a few minutes?" Sakura-chan interjected playing the role of peacemaker. I shrugged and exited the house. I quickly did a few seal with my right hand quietly performing my Kage Bunshin creating four clones and sent them in opposite directions before the other two came outside.

"You guys ready?" I asked. Sakura-chan nodded while Sasuke decided to ignore me.

It took us no time at all to reach the bridge where all the construction was.

"Wow! This bridge is going to be huge!" Sakura-chan said in amazement. I nodded as I continued to look the bridge over. Suddenly a rush of images ran through my mind as if I was being force to remember something. Then it dawned of me, one of my clones had been taken out and it was the closest one to the bridge.

"They're here... Get ready." I said.

"Who is here? How do you know this?" Sakura-chan asked. A gust of wind flew by us as I quietly chanted "Kazekaiken." creating my wind chakra infused kunai. Suddenly, I was forced to guard myself from the flames of our attacker's claws. I forced the attacker back and notice that the nin that attacking me was a kunoichi. Two more shinobi leaped onto the bridge and began to attack both Sakura-chan and Sasuke.

**II**

Naruto was staring down at the kunoichi, who just so happened to be the same one who attacked his clone. He glanced over to Sasuke who looked over at him at the same time, both smirked and nodded at each other. Sakura saw them looking and began to wonder what they were doing. Naruto quickly dashed over towards Sasuke, who quickly ran at him. From the outside it look like the two was about to fight each other, which confused the attacking shinobi, but instead Sasuke leaped into the air and threw a couple of smoke bombs down covering the bridge in smoke. Suddenly, Naruto appeared in front of the same kunoichi that had approached him as the smoked cleared.

"Who are you? I will give you one warning to tell me or the I will be forced to fight and even kill you." Saying the words 'kill' left a cold feeling within Naruto but he quickly shook it off. The strange kunoichi just entered an offensive stance and charged at Naruto. He quickly side-stepped her attack and used her own momentum to his advantage, sending her flying face first towards the ground but she some how managed to land on her feet instead.

_'Damn...'_ Naruto said to himself.

**'There is a strong and familiar aura with this kunoichi kit, be careful. She is just like you. Get serious now or you will die!'** Kyuubi yelled at Naruto from within.

_'Just like me..?'_ Naruto asked.

**'Worry about that later!'** Kyuubi yelled as Naruto snapped out of his trance just in time to guard her second attack. Suddenly, the Naruto who had fought with the nukenin and killed him returned. The Naruto with the blank expression who only cared about finishing the fight. The issue of his opponent being alive after the fight no longer mattered when he entered this stage.

Naruto grabbed the kunoichi's wrist and tossed her to the side, but yet again she landed on her feet. She quickly sent another attack in Naruto's direction. Like Naruto, she had learned how to control her affinity of fire, which made it harder for Naruto to combat. She was quicker than him and far more agile but Naruto still had his strength to back him up. She charged forward with another attack but he used one of his wind blades to fend off her attack and push forward with all his strength, causing her to lose balance just a little. Enough for him to finally go on the offensive as he landed a heavy blow to her face thanks to his fist. Her body seemed to float in air as the force from the punch sent her flying, but yet again she managed to flip up right and land on her feet.

What she did not know was the fact that she had fell right into Naruto's plan.

As she finally caught herself from sliding even further back, thanks to Naruto's attack, the 'second' Naruto appeared behind her and was just barely quick enough to hit her with another heavy blow, sending her airborne once again. Her reflexes had saved her, because Naruto was going for the finishing blow with his Kazekaiken but was forced to swing upward, backhanding her since she dodged his first attack. The 'third' Naruto then decided to make his appearance as he suddenly appeared on top of her in an upright position in the air. He sent a powerful kick to her stomach, this time forcing her to the ground. The 'second' and 'third' Naruto ran beside the 'original' Naruto as they stared at the kunoichi when she landed on her back, but they could tell the fight was far from over. She glanced over at them and slowly rose up and coughed up some blood. It was easy to tell that Naruto's surprise attack had done a number on her, but she was far from out. Her face matched Naruto's blank look. She quickly did a few seals and yelled "Nenshou Ookawa!" and punched her fist into the hard cement of the bridge. Naruto looked on as the ground around him began to crack, releasing tiny explosions of lava all around as his part of the bridge began to melt. The attack was so sudden that Naruto did not have enough time to escape as the hot molten lava engulfed him and his clones.

On the other side of the bridge, Sasuke was having troubles of his own with his opponent. The tall shinobi matched him in speed and quickness. And on top of that, his physical blows were enough to shatter bones if they were ever to land on his target. Which Sasuke figured out after watching him punch through the hard cement. The gauntlets he was wearing gave him amazing strength. Sasuke glanced over towards Naruto's direction just in time to watch his teammate melt away to ashes thanks to the lava the kunoichi he was fighting summoned upon him. At the same time, Sakura noticed too. Even the two other shinobi stopped to watch in horror of what their teammate did. But the next thing that happened surprised a few of the shinobi that were on the bridge. At the last minute, a 'fourth' Naruto cancelled his henge of a shovel that was on the ground and sent a powerful blow to the side of the kunoichi's head, sending her crashing to the pavement. Everybody, including the kunoichi who was fighting him but excluding Sasuke, could not believe he was still alive. He played off his own death so perfectly, even the screams. What the others did not know was the fact that Naruto had created a fourth clone and used his Bunshin Irekae no Jutsu to switch places with his clone.

Naruto stood over the kunoichi with both Kazekaiken in hand ready to finish her off. Sasuke began to wonder if the other two were going to rush to her aid but they just ignored her and continued their attack. It seemed that they did not care rather she died or not. Suddenly, a streak of lightning flew in front of Naruto. Naruto noticed it just in time to dodge the attack. Everybody glanced in the direction it came from and saw a slender-figured kunoichi wearing a jounin vest with a cloud symbol on her forehead protector. Sasuke glanced over at the other two and saw that they two were cloud nin. Which only meant that she was their leader and also meant that team seven was about to be in a world of trouble.

"Stay back, Naruto! She's a jounin." Sasuke yelled.

"I know that, teme!" Naruto yelled back.

Sasuke did not want to test the jounin's ability to fight. After watching Kakashi and Zabuza go at it, he knew the gap between genin and jounin was a very large one. Not to mention this conflict could lead to a war between Kumogakure and Konohagakure. Sasuke may be an avenger who only thought of killing the person who wronged him, but he was no fool. Konoha was in no shape for another Great Ninja War.

"Who gave the order to attack?" The jounin asked her squad. From the looks of it, their opponents looked to only be genin as well.

"I-I d...id, sensei.." The second kunoichi said who was fighting Sakura fidgeting a little bit.

"Did I give you the power to make that decision?" She said in a very stern voice that even shook Sasuke up. Naruto shrugged everything off and decided to sit down and lean against the wall of the bridge.

"Why are shinobi of Konohagakure here in Wave?" The jounin asked them, but neither one of them said a word. Naruto even looked like he was asleep.

"Not going to talk, huh? Not wise choice when your enemy's capability is far beyond that of your own." She said as she practically stared holes in each of the leaf genin's head, but just like before they refused to say a word.

_'I see... They are well trained for genin.'_ The Kumogakure jounin thought to herself. Suddenly she felt a slight surge of killer intent and chakra from a distance.

"You! Blondie! Cancel your jutsu right now or I will be forced to kill you, gaki!" She yelled at Naruto. Naruto glared up at her and called out his "army" of clones just to show where they were. There were well over thirty surrounding them.

_'So that's why they did that earlier? But why wasn't I included?!'_ Inner Sakura asked.

_'Damn... She discovered our back up plan... Should have known that dobe couldn't pull it off.'_ Sasuke mentally cursed.

The number of clones caught the kunoichi who was fighting him off guard. She never knew he had created that many clones. Plus, she noticed a similar feeling that she had felt her entire life from this boy.

Naruto groaned and canceled his jutsu, causing all his clones to disappear in a puff of white smoke.

"Now what?" Naruto asked.

"So you guys are Kakashi-kun's genin?" She asked which caused all three of them to fall face first to the ground in surprise. Sakura was the first to ask the question that ran through everybody's mind.

"How did you know?"

"I met Kakashi-kun a very long time ago and I spotted you guys as you entered the dock with Kakashi-kun. I have to say I am impressed, you guys are pretty good. I am Nagiya Aoi, the sensei of the baka squad that attacked you." Naruto and the others were still at a loss of words from what had just transpired. They went from defending themselves to meeting someone who knew their sensei.

"Gomen... I'm Sakuci Ty" The kunoichi who attacked Sakura bowed and said. She forced down the head of her male teammate who was standing beside her so he was bowing too. "This bakemono is Ulio Lei." She continued.

"What about her?" Naruto said as he pointed at the kunoichi who tried to take his life and was still on the ground.

"There is no need for us to introduce the 'weapon' to you." Lei said in a dark tone.

"Lei!" Aoi scolded but he just ignored her.

"You know it's true, sensei." Ty added. Aoi sighed to herself as she glanced over at the 'weapon' the other two were referring to. She still had the same blank look as if she was oblivious to what was going on around her.

"Leaf genin, you should head back to your sensei now and tell him Aoi said hi. I'll let you guys slide today." Aoi said to them. Sasuke snorted and Naruto yawned. Both turned around at the same time and began to exit the bridge. Sakura was the last to follow.

"You guys going to ignore the mission?" Sakura asked. Naruto turned to look at her and shook his head. Sasuke glanced over at her.

"This wasn't an official mission since we went to scout the bridge without our sensei's consent. So there is truly no reason for us to remain here." Sasuke said in his usual annoyed tone. Both of them turned around at the same time leaving Sakura shocked. It was so hard for her to believe how in sync those two had become. They were like a perfect duo, they even came up with a well thought out plan in middle of a heated battle and it would have worked if Aoi had not showed up. From the outside they looked like they hated each other, but on the inside they had became more like brothers. Yet there was one thing wrong; where did Sakura fit in all of this. The perfect duo should have been the perfect trio, but everytime she looked up she was farther and farther away from them.

By the time they were almost back at Tazuna's house the sun had already risen. Sasuke and Naruto were walking side by side, each in their own individual world while Sakura was left following in the back. Suddenly both of them stopped.

"Hey, dobe.." Said Sasuke.

"Yeah, teme..?" Naruto replied with a hint of malice in his tone.

"We're being followed."

"You just realized this?"

"I was waiting for you to do something, but I see I have to do everything.."

"...I'll take care of it." Naruto groaned and leaped into the tree that was standing to the left of them. He dashed through the trees toward the location of the small chakra signature Sasuke and him had picked up.

**III**

_**I was not in the mood for another fight. That crazy kunoichi was a lot more to handle than I original thought her to be. I couldn't even keep up with her speed. If it wasn't for our plan I probably would have lost to her.**_

As I was about to plant my foot on a random branch, a kunai streaked out of nowhere, which gave me almost no time to dodge it. Luckily, the branch broke, causing me to fall under it. But the only problem with that was it caused me to come crashing down towards the ground. I quickly picked myself off the ground and began to glance around my surroundings. The cloud kunoichi who I had fought with earlier landed right before me with the same blank expression on her face. Thanks to the light of the sun, I finally could get a good look at her. She was around my height wearing an all-black tanktop and tight black soldier pants, forearm guards on each arm along with her cloud forehead protector that rested right across her head. Pretty standard attire, nothing flashy but that did not matter as long as it allowed the shinobi to get the job done right. Her eyes were slanted like that of a cat's, which made her very appealing to me. She also wore her hair in a ponytail which extended down to the middle of her back. Despite the stone cold look she wore on her face, she was very attractive. More so than Sakura-chan and all the rest of the girls from Konoha combined.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Shouldn't that be my line?!" I yelled. She just nodded.

"I am Nii Yugito, the weapon of Kumogakure. Now, who are you?" She asked with the never changing expression she wore which was confusing to me.

"What do you mean by weapon of Kumogakure?" I asked still stuck in confusion.

"Tell me your name first and I will answer your question." She said. She managed to blink twice during her sentence which clarified to me that she was human...

"Uzumaki Naruto. Now tell me what do you mean." For a moment, I swore I saw a hint of emotion as she contemplated if she should tell me or not. Then as if a light had turned on, she finally came to her decision.

"I am refered as the 'Weapon of Kumogakure' due to what I have sealed inside of me. A demon that I did not ask to be placed in me known as the Nibi no Nekomata." The information gave me a huge shock, I knew me and Kyuubi felt something familiar about her, but I never would have imagined that she actually shared my same burden. The same pain I felt she most likely felt herself.

"Why... did you follow us?" I asked.

"I only followed you. Please, tell me why you feel so familiar to me. Who are you Uzumaki Naruto?"

_'Should I tell her?'_ I mentally asked Kyuubi.

**'Why not? She is telling the truth, I can sense enough of that neko's chakra to tell that she is his container.'** Kyuubi reply with a hint of interest in her voice. I let out a huge sigh and look her directly in the eyes.

"I too share that same burden... I am the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune." This time I was sure she showed emotion, as her stoic expression shifted to one of shock. I could easily tell that she was dumbfounded by what I said. "So... what is your true motive?" I continued.

"I only wanted to know what you are to me, and now I know. I will be leaving now." For some reason something, not Kyuubi, began to push me to stop her. Something just did not want her to go and I could not explain why.

"Wait... What are you doing here in Wave?" I asked.

"I am not allowed to discuss that with outsiders, Uzumaki-san." Yugito said as her eyes glance to the side. It looked like she could not look at me for some reason. I walked closer to her as I thought about my next question.

"Please, call me Naruto, and how long are you going to be here then?" I asked.

"Until the mission is complete." She replied still not looking directly at me. I sighed at her answer. I couldn't complain, though. It was a truthful answer even if it wasn't the one I wanted. For some reason my body took over and I moved in 'even' more. Instead of fighting it, I decided to just go with the flow. I had nothing to lose... but my life maybe...

"W-Will I see you again?" I asked. Her eyes finally landed on mine as her emotionless expression switched to one of shock followed by her cheeks color changing to a deep shade of red. I didn't quite understand what was going on but I did not care at that time.

"Naruto!" A familiar voice called out from behind me. I quickly turned around to see both Sakura-chan and Sasuke staring at me.

"I must leave Uzumaki-san. My issou is waiting." She quickly leaped back into the trees as she disappeared from sight. I released a silent sigh as I walked toward my teammates with 'horrible' timing.

"What were you doing talking to the enemy, Naruto?!" Sakura-chan yelled.

"Don't worry, she was just introducing herself since her teammates were too rude to allow her to earlier." I said.

"If that's all, then why did it take so long? You had me worried!" She yelled as she sent a heavy punch to my jaw, which caused me to crash into the side of a tree. To say I was surprised, was an understatement. Not that she hit me, that happened a lot, but the fact that she was actually worried about me and not fiending over Sasuke. I picked myself off the ground and dusted off.

"Nice one, Sakura-chan.." I said as I rubbed my jaw.

"Are we ready yet?" Sasuke chimed in. He was already heading in the opposite direction toward Tazuna's house. Both me and Sakura-chan sighed and quickly followed after him.

**'My little kit is growing up... Getting himself a real girlfriend now. I think I'm going to cry.'** Kyuubi joked.

_'Yeah, she showed no interest in me.'_ I replied.

**'Baka! You are dense as hell! She is shy, dobe! You are most likely the only person to talk to her like a person and not a tool. And it was a dead give away, since she couldn't look you directly in the eye and how her face turned red as a tomato when you asked her if you would see her again.'** I sighed to myself.

_'Guess you have a point.'_

**'Look at it this way, kit. Even though both of you share the same "problem", it does not mean you handled it or was "handled" the same way. You on one hand was mocked, beaten, and isolated from society, while she was most likely beaten as well, but forced into militant type training to be completely obedient. A perfect weapon for their village once she matures more. There's probably a lunatic out there who kills almost everything thanks to the way his village treated him.'** I nodded and continued my way back to Tazuna's house with my teammates.

**IV**

"Where have you been, Yugito?" Aoi asked as Yugito entered the hotel room.

"I trailed the leaf nin to discover where they are staying, issou." Yugito replied in her usual blank and cold demeanor.

"Good work as usual for the 'weapon'." Ty chimed in.

"Ty!" Aoi yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, gomen."

Suddenly a knock was head at the window. Aoi slowly walked over towards the window and leaned against it.

"Our target is here along with a three-cell squad of genin. We underestimated the skill of the genin but mistakes will not be made twice..."

**I had finally founded someone who I can relate to and the best part about it was the fact that she was a girl. But I did not know how things were going to turn out between us. The only thing I did know was the fact that I wanted to see her again.**

- **Nenshou Ookawa**: Lava River (Direct Translation) The user slams their fist into the ground and pumps chakra fused with fire causing the ground infront of them to melt into lava.

- **Bunshin Irekae no Jutsu**: Art of Clone Replacement (Direct Translation) Allows user to pin point the chakra siginatures of each of the clones the user creates and replace them with their own body or vice versa.

- **Kazekaiken**: Wind Dagger


	6. Chapter 6: The Blood Within the Waves

**Update 11/07/08: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Six: The Blood Within the Waves

_**My mind was flooded with the few images of her that I had. It was still hard to believe that there were others who shared the same burden as me. I truly thought I was the only person in the world that was forced to deal with this pain. It felt refreshing to know I was not alone.**_

"Sensei? What are you doing up?" Sakura-chan scolded Kakashi-sensei as we got back to the house. I let out a loud yawn and began to stretch.

"How was the bridge?" Kakashi-sensei asked. All of us tensed up and slowly turned to him.

"How..." I started to ask.

"I have my ways." He interrupted with his smiling eye.

"So... Who is Aoi-san?" Sakura-chan asked. Kakashi-sensei instantly froze up as if he saw a ghost. All three of us noticed the change and became very interested.

"I'm not feeling well anymore, I'm going to take a nap." Kakashi-sensei said as he laid back down. Sakura-chan snickered.

"Oh? So our great sensei has a girlfriend?" Sakura-chan teased. Kakashi-sensei looked at Sakura-chan with an intense glare that commanded her to shut up.

"Far from it. It's all one-sided. That kunoichi is crazier than Anko and I find it... scary."

"Heh..." Sasuke decided that it was time for him to make his exit. Tazuna's daughter Tsunami had breakfast prepared and he was very hungry. The sweet aroma almost caught my attention as I bowed and made my exit as well. Sakura-chan laughed.

"This is not over, sensei." She said in a teasing voice before she exited.

The next couple of days flew by as Kakashi-sensei's strength began to return to him. Over that time, we made several trips to the bridge with Tazuna, who began to show a lot more respect to us than in the beginning. One morning, we were just finishing breakfast when Tsunami's son Inari decided to let us know how he felt about our mission.

"You are all going to die! This is pointless!" He yelled at us as he ran upstairs. I looked over at Tsunami with a confused look as she ran up the stairs after him. Tazuna spoke for her instead.

"Inari is... He has been through a lot for his age." Tazuna said.

"Join the party." I said without thinking. I had no doubt that the kid had maybe suffered, but try living in my shoes and then talk.

"Naruto!" Sakura-chan yelled at me. That was when I realized what I said but I was far from taking it back.

"See, Inari is still yet to get over the loss of his step-father." Tazuna said as he glanced over at the portrait of his family.

"What happened?" Sakura-chan asked. Tazuna turned back to us with a sad expression. It was easy to tell his eyes were getting watery just thinking about it.

"Kaiza was a great man. He wasn't originally from this country, but when he arrived, he became the symbol of strength for our people and the father Inari never had. But like all great men, his life ended before it should have. The day Gato and his syndicate arrived marked the beginning of our oppression. Kaiza was the first to stand up for us, of course, but because of his influence with the people Gato had him executed in front of everyone to see, including Inari. He used him as an example so that others wouldn't fall in his footsteps. Every since then the bravery of our people died along with Kaiza. Inari does not believe in heroes anymore thanks to that." An ominous silence crept thought the room. Sakura-chan held her head down as Tazuna wiped away the few tears that had managed to escape. I suddenly stood up and began to head toward the door.

"Where are you going Naruto?" Sakura-chan asked.

"To prove that heroes do exist." I said as I continued on to the door. Suddenly, there was a hand on my shoulder, I turned around to see who it was and was more than surprised to see it was Sasuke.

"Don't be foolish, you two." Tazuna said as he jumped up. "You guys may be strong but who knows how many men Gato has at his disposal." He continued.

"And you have no clue how many clones I can create old man." I said.

"I can't let the dobe go out on his own or he would definitely die." Sasuke said in almost a teasing manner.

"Just think for a second! Sakura talk some sense in them!" Tazuna turned to Sakura to see that she still had her head down.

"Hold up, you two." Kakashi said as he walked out of 'his' room now on crutches. "There are more enemies out there than you guys think." He continued.

"Do you have any suggestions then?" Sasuke asked in a very stern voice.

"You guys are still not strong enough to take on everyone. Follow me, it's time I taught you guys a little trick I know." We all gave him a questioning look. He shrugged it off and headed out of the door. We looked at each other and followed him, including Sakura-chan.

It was a little while before we finally stopped. We were in the middle of the woods during midday.

"So, what is this trick you were talking about, Kakashi-sensei?" I asked.

"The trick is call tree climbing." He replied.

"Tree climbing?!" All three of us yelled at the same time.

"Yes, the catch is you can't use your arms. Only the bottom of your feet using your chakra to stick to the surface. Now, this exercise trains you on your chakra control." He walked over to a tree trunk and slowly began to walk up it. "If you don't apply the right amount you'll fall, but if you apply too much, you either destroy the object you are climbing or shoot yourself like a rocket off of it." He continued as he walked back down it. He then slung three kunai at our feet, one kunai per person. "You will use these kunai to mark the spot where you got the highest. And I also want you guys to get a running headstart, now, begin!" He finished.

I thought this exercise would be a breeze for me since I had been training hard with Kyuubi for awhile now, but that proved to be greatly wrong. The first time I tried it, not only did I use too much chakra, I completely destroyed the side of the tree I was using, causing it to fall. I wasn't off to a good start with this. Sakura-chan had already made it half way up her tree while Sasuke wasn't having much luck with only making it a couple of feet up the tree. This was going to prove to be tougher than I originally I thought sadly.

_'Hey, Baka Kitsune! Why didn't you tell me about this?!'_ I mentally yelled at Kyuubi.

**'Simple, because I didn't know.'** Kyuubi replied.

_'Nani! I thought you were some wise and ancient bean?! And you didn't know of such a simple exercise as this?'_

**'HEY! WATCH THE ANCIENT CRAP! I'M NOT THAT OLD!! And I am not Kami-sama, I do not know everything!'** To say I was frustrated at Kyuubi at that time would have been a major understatement. **'The things I taught you focus mostly on your concentration in battle and you brain power. I hope you've noticed how much smarter you have become in battle thanks to your personal training.'** She had a point, even though it was still frustrating.

When Sakura-chan had managed to make it up three-fourths of the way, Kakashi-sensei ordered her to stop. Her chakra reserves had been completely used as she fought to stay awake. Sasuke and I were still far from her, but our reserves were much larger so we could still keep going despite Kakashi-sensei's orders. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan left a little bit after that. We did not make it to the very top until sunrise, twelve hours from the time we started. We had fought through the pain an exhausting night without stopping. To say we were tired was an under statement. We made it back just in time for breakfast as we burst through the door literally carrying each other. But before we could have anything to eat, we both collapsed on the floor from chakra exhaustion.

**II**

It was the next day and the boys were still fast asleep. No doubt they would be sleep until the next morning. Sakura was the only one able to move and the only one of her teammates that had been given permission to accompany Tazuna into the village to shop for food. Before they were ready to go, Sakura wanted to talk with Kakashi first.

"Sensei, do you have a minute?" Sakura asked.

"What do you need?" Kakashi replied as he did his one handed push ups.

"It's about Sasuke-kun and Naruto. They are getting so strong yet I am nowhere near them. I can see them bonding to be a perfect team and I feel like I am being left behind." Sakura said with a worried look on her face. Kakashi stopped doing his push ups and sat up right and looked at her.

"I can see your concern with this, but don't worry about it to much. What's fueling their bond is their rivalry to out do the other. I can help you catch up in strength, but its up to you to 'join' their team. You have to be more assertive and not timid and they will welcome you in. Prove to them that you are just as good. I am pretty sure they see you as a real teammate, you're just being too hard on yourself." Kakashi said, he then returned to his previous position and continued his work out. Sakura sighed to herself, how could she prove herself to those two. She needed to find her place, the thing she could do that they couldn't but needed.

The trip to the market was uneventful for them, but it left a huge impression on Sakura. She was so used to the busy streets of Konoha and huge selection of foods and items in the markets. This, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. People begging for food, the shops that had food didn't have much if any, and the kids looked like nothing but skin and bone. Just seeing this almost brought tears to Sakura's eyes. She couldn't believe what these people were being forced to go through all thanks to one greedy fat bastard. That was where she made her decision to change herself. No more chasing after Sasuke, though it would be nice to have him chase her, no more acting like a girly girl, no more depending on Sasuke and Naruto. She was going to be like Naruto, who changed everything about himself for the better. She was going to make sure the new her was going to be a part of saving this village.

When they returned home they both were surprised to see Sasuke and Naruto up and about eating dinner. It seemed like they were racing each other to see who would get done faster, they tied... then threw up, coughed a little and started again.

After everything was cleaned Naruto got up and began to head toward the door.

"Time for training." Naruto said before anyone could ask where he was going. Sakura stood up too and began to head toward him.

"C-Can I train with you?" Sakura asked. This really caught Naruto off guard. She was the last person he expected to want to train with him. He turned around to make sure she wasn't joking then he bowed.

"Gomen, Sakura-chan. I have to train alone right now. I feel more comfortable that way." Before Sakura could say anything he was out the door. She couldn't believe the changes Naruto had went through since they became a team. In the past, he would have jumped at the chance of being alone with her. Now, he actually turned her down. Feeling a little hurt for being rejected, she shook it off and decided that it would be wise for her train by herself too. She had to change herself to make them recognize her as a true teammate and not just a burden. Even if she was the only one feeling ths way.

**III**

_'What was that all about I wonder?'_ I asked myself.

**'Don't ask me, kit.'** Kyuubi replied.

_'I wasn't asking you...'_

**'Don't tell me you are talking to yourself even though you have me?'** She said in her pouty voice which just annoyed me.

_'Nevermind... So what new jutsu are you going to teach me today?'_ I asked.

**'Tonight I planned on teaching you a few jutsu that would increase the speed and quickness of your taijutsu attacks.'**

_'Planned?'_

**'We're being followed.'**

_'By who?'_ I asked as I continued to act normal.

**'If I knew that, then I would've told you, baka!'**

_'Fine.. I'll figure out who it is myself.'_ I said as I launched several kunai in the four directions I determined my pursuer would be. I heard the sound of metal colliding with metal in front of me and braced myself for an attack from that direction. Just as I predicted the follower leaped from that part of the woods and threw several shurikens at me. I barely managed to dodge them in time to draw my kunai and summon my 'Kazekaiken'. The wind that was used for my jutsu was enough itself to push my pursuer off of me. Something felt weird about my 'Kazekaiken' though. It was longer, more like swords than daggers. It seemed the chakra control training I went through had also increased the potential I had with my wind affinity.

"Who are you and why did you attack me?!" I yelled. Suddenly they decided to reveal 'herself' to me and it was her!

"Gomenasai, Uzumaki-san." She said as she bowed.

"I told you to call me Naruto. And why did you attack me?" I asked looking around to make sure she was the only one.

"Because you attacked me first, Uzu... Naruto-san." I paled at her answer.

"Ok, better question. Why were you following me?" She looked over me and then looked to the side. I could tell she was trying not to look at me.

"I-I want you to leave the Wave Country Naruto-san. I don't want you to get hurt, or worse." She said as she glanced up at me. I began to walk closer to her and she quickly tensed up. I put my hands up to show I wasn't going to do anything.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to attack you. Just want to know what you are talking about." She glanced back down trying her hardest not to give me direct eye contact.

"I cannot tell you everything, Naruto-san. I just don't want you to be here and get killed." I chuckled a little which caused her to finally looked at me in my eyes. For a moment we froze. Until we both blushed and turned our heads.

"Why are you so worried about me so much, Yugito-chan?" I asked not realizing until after I said it that I added a chan to her name. Her face lit up to a bright red.

"I don't know why, Naruto-san. I just have this foreign feeling. This feeling that I have never felt before that does not want you to get hurt. That... that wishes to protect you... despite my training." She said as she continued to look away from me.

"There is no need to worry about me, Yugito-chan. Nothing will happen to me or you. I promise." She looked at me again and shook her head and did something that I was completely not expecting. She almost tackled me in a tight firm hug.

"Don't die, Naruto-san..." She said. I decided to hug her back. For a moment we remained there in the same position. This was the first time I felt the warm embrace of another, and judging from the smile that was on her face, it was hers too.

_**Time seemed to stay still as we hugged. I did not know where the feelings were coming from or why they were associated to an enemy. But there was something there, something that just made this feel right at that time.**_

"I can't stay long, Naruto-san." She said as she looked up at me. I could easily tell that she did not want to go.

"Why can't you?" I asked not wanting her to go.

"I just can't..." She said almost in a whisper.

_**I guess she was not familiar with the emotion she was going through that night, hell, neither was I. So I decided to not force her to do anything she didn't want to. I released my hug on her and she bowed again. And with that she was gone.**_

I let out a loud sigh as I continued to stare in the direction where she left. I could still smell her sweet fragrance as it lingered around enticing even more.

**'Now that your girlfriend is gone, maybe we can get some training done.'** Kyuubi said to me in a somewhat annoyed tone.

_'Yeah, yeah. Do you want me to start my warm up?'_ I asked.

**'Don't ask questions you already know the answers to, baka.'** I began to wonder where her annoyance was coming from. But I quickly brushed it off when I began my usual warm up. After I was complete with my warm up, I stretched a little.

_'So what do you have in mind for tonight'_ I asked.

**'Nothing too major, just a theory I want to test out. This next thing I'm going to have to try out, if it works, will become your second skin. But it may cause you to pass out from chakra exhaustion because it requires you to expend chakra non-stop.'**

_'I see, lets try it, then. Apparently something big is about to happen and I want to be ready for whatever it is.'_

**'The jutsu is simple, I want you to release chakra from all of your chakra points at a steady pace and evenly. We will work on that as a starting point and then move on from there.'**

_'That's easier said than done!'_ I yelled.

**'Just do it!'** She yelled back.

_'Fine...'_ I was about to try what she said when she cleared her throat.

**'Forgetting something? I'm not going to be here all night.'** I sighed and did my Kage Bunshin creating about fifty clones to do the same thing. Hopefully one of us could get it done. At first, the task seemed practically impossible. I could get the chakra points I was used to using to release a steady constant flow but the ones I wasn't used to either released too much or not enough. After about two hours of trying, finally one of us figured out how to do it. Just like every jutsu Kyuubi taught me, this required a lot of concentration. I practically had to enter a state of serenity to do so. After I released my Kage Bunshin, I collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. That was when I was glad I learned the Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu because I was up and ready for more now.

_'Now what?'_ I said. It was going to take a little bit to get used to using my chakra like that.

**'Second stage, mold the chakra you create around you with the wind and control the wind to form perfectly around you.'** I just stared at her. It was hard enough to force the wind to form a sword around my kunai. The wind was wild and almost uncontrollable. Yet again, I did my normal ritual for learning new things. This task was even harder than the first. The wind would either disperse quickly or push me back wards. I had to create new clones to replace the ones that were destroyed by the wind. It took me till sunrise before I had this mastered. I had to come up with my own set of seals to complete this new jutsu. It took a twelve seal combination to correctly mold the wind with my chakra. Learning that jutsu left completely drained. Even after using the Kage Bunshin/Ikioi Juuten combo, I was still completely exhausted.

**'Congratulations kit, you did it. You're still a baka, though.'** She said with a smile on her face. I was too tired to even protest, which she knew already, so she didn't press the subject. That jutsu took a hell of a lot of my chakra just learning it, but I could easily tell that the next time would be different. I used up too much chakra doing it the wrong way, but when I was starting to get the hang of it, I used almost little to none of my chakra. There was also different levels of chakra I could use to strengthen the jutsu. That's when it hit me, what was the point of this jutsu.

**'Ah... And finally the dobe wants to know what the thing he nearly died trying to accomplish does.'** Kyuubi said. **'The wind will act as a second skin for you. The power of the wind will repel the majority of weak attacks that get past your defense. The stronger you get, the stronger this jutsu will get. You should focus on making this a common jutsu for you. That way, you call on it unconsciously before going into the battle.'**

_'Cool! I'll call it Kaze Gaitou!'_ I yelled before passing out. The next thing I knew, I had Sakura-chan shaking me. I forced open my eyes and smiled.

"What happened, Naruto?" Sakura-chan asked.

"Trained a little too hard, I guess." I replied barely keeping my eyes open.

"Baka, I swear you are going to kill yourself one of these days. Come on, I'll help you back." I wasn't too far out from the house, so the trip back was quick but before I knew it I was asleep again.

**IV**

Team seven, minus Naruto, was preparing to head to the bridge with Tazuna. Kakashi had completely recovered from his chakra exhaustion and had joined them. They decided that Naruto needed rest since he had used up almost all his chakra. Sakura was in awe at how far Naruto had pushed himself to change. Before no one would've care if Naruto was with them, they most likely would rather him not be there, but now was different. Naruto was huge part of their team ad his absence would be felt. Sakura knew she had to show them that she belonged with them too. She was determined to prove to them and herself that she was a true kunoichi. Her mind was filled with ways on how to improve herself, she was so caught up in them that she did not notice she was at the bridge until her team stopped. She glanced up to see a lot of the bridge builders dead and covered in their own blood. She nearly fainted at the disgusting sight.

"Braise yourself." Kakashi said as he noticed the one person he was not expecting to appear, Zabuza. And this time he had a partner, the hunter-nin from before.

"T-That's... That's impossible!" Sakura yelled remembering the amazing strength Zabuza had showed before. And the hunter-nin had to be strong too since Kakashi didn't sense his chakra last time. Man, did they need Naruto right now.

"Protect Tazuna-san, Sakura. I'll take care of the hunter-nin." Sasuke said.

"Are you sure about this, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. Sasuke turned around and smiled.

"Oh... What do we have here Kakashi? Is your student going to face off with mine? Lets see who is the better sensei, then. Oh, I must warn you my student may even be stronger than me. And don't even think about interfering either or the pretty little girl and the bridge builder will be dead before you even know it." Zabuza said. Kakashi was placed in a position where he was forced to comply. Only thing he could do was hope that he was just bluffing about the young hunter-nin or if Naruto wakes up and gets here on time.

Speaking of Naruto, he was fast asleep on his mat until a loud noise woke him up. It sounded like a crash from downstairs. At first he thought to ignore it but then he heard Tsunami scream, which caused him to leap up. Luckily he was still dressed as he dashed down stairs to see two unknown men waving katana at Tsunami, while Inari was crying in the corner. He glanced around for the others but didn't see anyone. That's when he realized that they had left without him. Without further delay, he pulled out two kunai and yelled "Kazekatana!" as wind surged around them knocking over a few pieces of furniture. The first man noticed he was there and went for the attack but his katana wasn't enough as Naruto sliced through his sword and him at the same time. He stopped half way to not slice the man in half. The other man's face paled in shock.

"Leave now and never come back." Naruto said in a calm and deadly voice. The man nodded and took off running. Naruto looked over at Tsunami and checked her up.

"Are you ok?" He asked. She didn't say a word. Her face looked as if it was frozen and she wouldn't stop shaking. He wanted to stay with her but he had a feeling that his team needed him. He ran over to Inari and looked him over. "I need you to be strong Inari. Take care of your mom for me, ok?" Inari nodded and Naruto smiled. He scanned over the house before heading toward the bridge. He did not expect to be stopped dead in his tracks by a barrage of kunai. He quickly leaped out of the way barely dodging a few of them.

"Why the fuck do I always get kunai thrown at me when I'm in the woods!" He yelled as he searched for the culprit. Suddenly three nin leaped out from the tree tops right in front of him. It was the cloud genin he had fought several mornings ago.

"I don't have time to play with you guys so get out of my way please!" Naruto yelled at them. The tall and lanky genin walked upward as Aoi landed right behind them with her back facing us. Naruto looked over at Yugito and noticed that she could not look at him.

_'So this is what she meant when she wanted me to leave.'_ Naruto said mentally.

**'Looks like you get to test out your Kaze Gaitou no jutsu quicker than we figured.'** Kyuubi said.

_'Yeah... Unfortunately.'_ Naruto replied.

"Yo, weapon! Take care of him!" Lei yelled at Yugito but she just turned her head.

"What?! Is the 'weapon' refusing an order from one of its masters?!" Lei spat out. Naruto slowly began to lose control of his anger but Kyuubi calmed him down a little.

"Lei! You take care of him. We have a mission to finish!" Aoi yelled at her subordinate.

"With pleasure, sensei. This should be easy enough." Lei replied. Yugito glared at Lei and started to move in to attack him but Naruto sent her a hidden signal not to.

"Come on, guys. I did say please..." Naruto said in an annoyed tone. He hid his hand behind his back and did a couple of seals and then slammed down a smoke bomb. The smoke bomb caught the cloud shinobi off guard causing them to be struck with a temporary coughing spell.

"Yugito! Ty! Ignore him and come with me!" Aoi yelled from the back. And with that the three kunoichi were gone, leaving Naruto and Lei to fight it out. Finally the smoked cleared leaving Lei standing in the forest path by himself.

"Is someone running away?!" Lei yelled. At first he only heard silence, but that was quickly broken with the sounds of laughter coming from all directions.

"Don't be"-"mad at me"-"if you die"-"from this experience." Naruto said from several positions.

"Come out and fight me like a man, bastard!" Lei yelled.

Suddenly Naruto dashed out and tried to slash at his legs but Lei dodged just in time. He wasn't quick enough to counter, because when he turned around Naruto was already gone. But as soon as he turned back around, another Naruto was in his face with both of his Kazekaiken aimed at his neck. Lei leaned backwards allowing Naruto to fly right above him but he wasn't quick enough to dodge Naruto's second attack, as the first Naruto sent a deep gash in the left side of Lei causing him to fall to his knees. He quickly shot a glance in both directions but both Narutos were nowhere to be found. Lei realized that he was already fighting at a disadvantage with a lot of the trees he could us as cover for his clones. And it was obvious that Naruto was trying to kill him. He would have to come up with something quick or Naruto would get his way. He stood despite the now gapping hole that was nagging at his side and quickly began to think of his next move. Suddenly an idea hit him. And just as two Naruto's leaped out of no where ready to finish him off. He sent all his chakra into his chakra gauntlets and slammed his fist into the ground creating a small earthquake. It wasn't much but it was enough to knock the two Narutos off balance along with knocking the others out of their perch in the trees. As they landed, he repeated the same technique sending a shock wave through the ground, destroying the Naruto clones. But left one question remaining. The same question that was always asked after all the Narutos in sight were dealt with. Where was the real Naruto? Lei was hoping that he finished him off with that last attack because he had used up almost every ounce he had in those attacks. He had greatly under estimated the blonde shinobi.

Suddenly the real Naruto leaped out of the ground and sent two slashes using a longer attack. It was his Kazekatana. Lei was not expecting him to be able to do that as well and fell victim to his attack, as the blow slashed through the left side of his face. Luckily Lei managed to back up just enough so he did not have it sliced in half. But the damage and the amount of blood that was spraying out of it meant death for him if he wasn't treated right away. He had already lost a lot of blood from the gash that Naruto had created earlier. He fell to his knees as he slipped in and out of consciousness. A hazy image of Naruto appeared in front of him. Naruto kneeled down and whispered in his right ear. The left side was covered in blood, which Naruto refused to be stained with.

"Here's a little secret for you. I am the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. So, if you survive this, remember to treat the people who share my burden with respect. Or I will finish what I started, that's if you survive this." Naruto stood up and made a seal with his right hand and dispersed in a cloud of smoke.

_'Wait! He was a clone too?!'_ Lei thought to himself before passing out.

**V**

Naruto wasn't the only member of team seven that was greatly underestimated. The hunter-nin was having a very hard time with Sasuke despite his own strength. Sasuke matched him in almost every category. Zabuza and Kakashi was still in their stand off watching the two battle.

"Haku! Stop playing around and get serious!" Zabuza yelled. Zabuza knew Haku's soul was too gentle, he didn't want to have to kill him but the genin was too skilled to let live.

After taking another heavy blow to his chest Haku, formerly known as the hunter-nin, leaped backwards and began to chant as he went through several seals.

"Makyo Hyo Sho!" Haku yelled as the water that was on the bridge and a little bit from the ocean below the bridge formed giant ice crystals resembling mirrors. They all formed around Sasuke, encasing him in a dome-like prison. Haku stepped in the one closest to him and actually entered the mirror. This was when Kakashi realized that Sasuke was in trouble. He started to rush to his aid but Zabuza stepped right in front of him.

"Where do you think you're going? Did you forget that as soon as you leave to help that boy those two are dead?" Zabuza said. Kakashi knew that the jutsu Haku was using was no normal jutsu. It was a part of his kekkei genkai. There were only two things that could possible save Sasuke now. One was more likely than the other. He began to hope for the arrival of one blonde loudmouthed shinobi.

Sasuke was studying the dome like ice prison he was trapped in.

_'Did this guy think I didn't know any fire jutsu?'_ Sasuke asked himself.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke said as he took in a deep breath and blew out a giant ball of fire toward a couple of the nearest ice mirrors. But for some reason, none of it melted. Sasuke tried the jutsu again but only came up with the same results.

"My jutsu is not normal ice. It is infused with my chakra, giving it more more resistance toward your fire jutsu." Haku said from one of his mirrors. Sasuke quickly launched several kunai toward that mirror but Haku had somehow appeared in another mirror. Sasuke launched a few more kunai at the mirror but like before he had moved to the next mirror. He then appeared in all of the mirrors.

"I can be anywhere at anytime. It was fun fighting with you Sasuke-kun but I'm afraid we are going to have to end things here." All of the Haku's began to lean forward out each mirror and began to throw needles at Sasuke.

At first Sasuke thought that some of the needles were fake, but unfortunately he found out he was wrong the hard way. In what almost looked like a black shower, all of the needles began raining down on him and they punctured his body all over with a couple even going into his neck. His breathing became laboured as he pulled himself up to his feet. In his mind, he refused to allow himself to die before he killed his brother. He reached his hand up and pulled out the couple of needles that were stuck in his neck. His body was numb all over from the attack. He coughed up a puddle of blood and began to try to figure out his next move. There had to be a way that masked freak was jumping from one mirror to another. It had to be something he was missing.

He threw another kunai at a mirror Haku was in. Like before, he dodged it by moving to the next mirror, but, just for a second, Sasuke saw him leap to the next one. He threw a couple of shuriken this time and quickly went through the hand seals for his Gokakyu no Jutsu and released it in the direction he thought Haku would leap too. At the last minute, Haku dodged the attack and went to a different mirror. Somehow it was becoming easier to predict Haku's movements. Haku leaned out of his mirror again and launched several more needles. Still not quick enough to dodge or deflect them, Sasuke was forced to take on the full barrage. The only thing he could do was make sure none of his vital organs were hit.

He now had needles sticking out all over his body like a porcupine. Blood dripped from everyone of the tips of the needles as Sasuke stood back up. His eyes were slowly adjusting to Haku's movements. He launched another set of shuriken and watched almost in slow motion as Haku exited the first mirror and entered the next. He had his movement down now. But what did not realize was he had finally unlocked his family's kekkei genkai, one of the most known and feared of them all, the Sharingan. Although it was only the first stage out of four, it was enough to allow him to read Haku movements. He knew he had him now, he launched one more kunai and watched where Haku was going to jump. Instead of letting him jump to the next mirror, he beat him to it and sent a heavy blow to his face causing him to rocket out of his prison dome. With its master out, the dome fell apart and shattered against the ground. Before Haku could move, Sasuke was there with his last kunai at his throat.

This was when both Haku and Sasuke had realized the situation had drastically changed outside of the dome.

**VI**

While Sasuke was fighting for his life against Haku, Kakashi was still stuck in his face off with Zabuza.

"Why don't you go ahead and make your move? I would love to finish my job here and you afterward." Zabuza said in a teasing tone. Kakashi was going over every plan he had in his mind at the time but was not expecting what had happened next. Out of nowhere, a lightning bolt struck Zabuza nearly shocking him to death. The second went straight through him killing him instantly. Kakashi looked up to see the last person he wanted to see, Aoi. Suddenly two other kunoichi appeared beside her.

"What do you want with Tazuna-san? Did Gato hire shinobi from Kumogakure as well?" Kakashi asked. Aoi shook her head as she placed her hands on her hips.

"We have no interest in the old man. The thing we are after is your head. Somebody wants you dead Kakashi-kun and unfortunately my team was assigned to take you out. Even though a lot of organizations hate and fear you. They still underestimated you thinking me and Kumogakure's "weapon" can take you down ourselves. Who would've guess you had a 'weapon' of your own amongst your team." Aoi said. The word weapon only further confused Sakura as she stared at their enemies. Who could she be referring to as a weapon. It could only be Sasuke or Naruto, and both were really strong.

"I see I'm going to have to get serious after all." Kakashi said as he lowered his mask to reveal his Sharigan eye.

"Yugito, no holding back now. We are going to need you to go all out to help me beat him." Aoi said to Yugito. "Ty! You take care of the kunoichi wanna-be over there." Aoi continued.

_'Why does everyone think I'm fake?!'_ Sakura yelled mentally. She glanced up and saw Ty leap at her. She was to quick for Sakura to counter or dodge. She could only defend Ty's head on attack. The blow sent Sakura flying backward. Before she landed Ty was already there sending a heavy blow to Sakura's back shifting her upward in the air. Ty then launched a barrage of punches to her stomach causing Sakura to land flat on her back and coughing up a huge amount of blood.

"That was easy." Ty taunted as she kneeled down beside Sakura and began to look her over.

On the other side of the bridge, Kakashi was fighting off both Aoi and Yugito. Aoi was fighting from long range and Yugito's quickness allowed her to keep up with Kakashi in taijutsu. Now Kakashi had a lot going on in his mind. Two out of three genin were on the verge of death and he was forced yet again to fight and not protect them. He began to doubt himself as a leader for deciding to continue this mission. Until he looked at Sakura.

Ty pulled out a kunai and was about to finish off Sakura when she grabbed her wrist.

"I am not done yet!" Sakura yelled. Sakura slung Ty off balance and kicked her in the stomach. The attack was enough to get Sakura a chance to fight back. She sent another blow to her head which dazed Ty. She then threw one more punch causing Ty to fall off the bridge. This was also the same time Sasuke burst through Haku's ice dome. During the commotion Sakura tackled Aoi. Kakashi launched several kunai at Yugito.

"Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu!" Naruto had finally made his appearance, but his actions were very unexpected. He leaped in front of the kunai Kakashi had thrown. The wind that was around him caught the kunai before they could pierce his skin and and threw them to the side.

"Naruto?! What are you doing?!" Sakura yelled. Everybody was surprised to see what he did. Even Yugito, who he saved.

_**That was one of the first times I turned my back on Konohagakure. But this one decision marked the biggest change in my life and for the others around me as well.**_

------------------------------------------------------------  
- **Kazekaiken**: Wind Dagger

- **Kazekatana**: Wind Sword

- **Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu**: Wind Release: The Air of Wind Cloak (Direct Translation) User releases chakra from everyone of their chakra points at a constant rate and molds with wind around them forming a barrier that takes the shape of their body.


	7. Chapter 7: A New Wave

**Author's Note: This one was a hard chapter for me too but no where as near as hard as the previous chapter. Thank you all for reading and remember to show me some love and review...please...**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Seven: A New Wave

_**I never would have imagined that I would be protecting an enemy, but everything happened so fast that I was forced to act. I knew the consequences once we returned to the village, but I did not care at that time. I just wanted to protect her.**_

"Naruto! What are you doing?!" Sakura yelled at him. Naruto remained in a defensive stance keeping his distance between him and Kakashi, but not leaving Yugito's side. He was determined to protect her from whoever attacked her. Who knew he had no chance in defeating Kakashi or even holding his own against him. His only hope was Kakashi were to change his mind.

'What is that dobe doing...?' Sasuke asked himself. He suddenly got off of Haku and began to dash toward Naruto. Yugito noticed him before Naruto did and quickly jumped to her feet. She thought he was coming after her, but unfortunately she was mistaken. Sasuke leaped right over her and threw a punch at Naruto's back. The attack was pushed back by Naruto's Kaze Gaitou but because Naruto was not used to using the jutsu, the blow from Sasuke still caused him to fly to the ground. Naruto quickly jumped up to look directly in the red eyes of Sasuke.

'Why... are his eyes red?' Naruto ask.

**'Sharingan... He's an Uchiha?!'** Kyuubi asked.

_'Yeah, I thought you knew that. And he has the Sharigan now like sensei? Damn! And just when I thought I was getting ahead of him.'_ Naruto whined.

With his new Sharigan eyes, the world looked a whole lot different to Sasuke. He could actually see the chakra around him as it finally dawned on him why he was able to read Haku's movement. It was only the first stage, though, as only a pair of tomoe appeared on the outer ring of his pupil. But with Naruto's new ability, it made it a lot harder to see him. All he could see was the cloud of chakra he was emitting. But he was not going to let that stop him and he dashed in for another attack.

Naruto watched as Sasuke went in for another attack. He released more chakra to increase the intensity of his jutsu. At first you could only see a light silverish blue aura flow around him, but now it looked like Naruto was actually in the middle of a tornado. He was not about to let Sasuke get the best of him like in the past. He was a new Naruto, a much smarter, cunning, stronger Naruto. As the two went in for the attack, Kakashi leaped in front of their attacks and deflected both of them.

"Stop it you two! This is not the time for this!" Kakashi said as he glared at both of them.

"Yeah! Now is the time you all die so I can tear down this damn bridge!" Everyone looked up to see Gato with a small army of mercenaries and nuke-nin behind him. He wore a large smirk on his face as if he knew he was already victorious.

"And the fat bastard finally shows himself." Naruto muttered under his breath.

"I do like to thank you guys for taking care of Zabuza for me. He was beginning to be a huge pain for me." Gato said as he tried to contain his laughter as he stepped on Zabuza's bloody body.

All of a sudden loud shouts and chatter was heard on the other side of the bridge. It was the villagers of Wave lead by Inari with pitch forks, knives, and anything else they could find to use as a weapon. Today would be the day that Wave finally stood up for themselves. But their powerful and noteworthy entrance was only overshadowed by the second entrance of another small army of Gato's men coming in behind them. Gato laughter could be heard above everybody voices. His enemies were now completely surrounded.

Naruto began to frown as he glanced at both sides of the bridge. Suddenly he felt a nudge on his shoulder, he turn around to see Yugito staring right at him. What was only a moment felt like a lifetime as Naruto quickly devised his next move and Yugito quickly picked up on it, just by reading his facial expression. With that, a new plan was created without words even being used. Sasuke instantly picked up on this as well and decided that he would not be outdone by the blonde enigma and walked beside Naruto as Yugito dashed to the other side of the bridge where the second group of men were.

"What do you think you're doing teme?" Naruto asked Sasuke.

"Taking care of business. Then I am going to kick your ass, dobe." Sasuke replied with a fierce glare in his red eyes. Naruto matched his glare with his own.

"Don't die before you even get the chance, teme!" Naruto yelled as they both began to run to the side of the body, where Gato was.

Sakura ran over to Naruto not knowing what he had planned but wanting to be a part of whatever it was. She was jealous of how Naruto could come up with a plan instantly with that strange blonde kunoichi and Sasuke but not include her. An outsider had a closer bond with her teammates then her.

"What are you guys doing?" Sakura asked.

"Protect Tazuna, Sakura-chan. We'll handle things." Naruto said as he ran past her with Sasuke. At first she thought about just doing what he said, but then talk she had with Kakashi came into her mind.

"No!" Sakura yelled causing both Naruto and Sasuke to stop and look at her.

"Nani?" Naruto asked.

"No... I refuse to be left out of this like I'm not even part of this team. I am tired of being treated like I don't deserve to be here with you guys..."

"Now is not the time for this Sakura..." Sasuke interrupted.

"No! This time is the perfect time. You don't have to protect me like I am some academy student. I am an official shinobi of Konohagakure and I can handle myself." Sakura continued with fire blazing in her emerald eyes. Naruto sighed and glanced over at Yugito who was fighting her way through the crowd of villagers so she could get to Gato's men.

"Fine... Follow Yugito-chan and help her out." Naruto sad as he turned back around and ran toward Gato.

'Chan?' Both Sasuke and Sakura thought to themselves.

**II**

In the meantime, Kakashi was still staring down Aoi, who had finally revealed the source of her lightning bolts. It was all due to her chakra crossbow she had latched on to one of her wrist bands.

"Think the genin can take care of things?" Aoi asked as he stood up straight leaving her defensive stance. Seeing that she was no longer willing to fight, Kakashi covered up his Sharigan eye and nodded.

"I'm confident my genin can take care a few mercs. What about your 'weapon' though?" Kakashi replied as he yawned returning his usual lazy demeanor. Aoi smirked as he yawned.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself..." A second Kakashi said behind Aoi with a kunai pointed at her neck as the original disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Aoi sighed and smiled as she dropped the electrically charged shuriken she was hiding in her other hand.

"As expected from the infamous copy-nin... And don't worry about Yugito. She is a lot stronger than she looks and a lot stronger than your genin. She is just to see her potential." Aoi said as she glanced over at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Stronger than Sakura maybe but not for long. That kunoichi is just about to blossom as she fights to keep up with those two. She's harder on herself than she needs to be. But as your lil' Yugito being stronger than Sasuke and Naruto... You haven't even seen what they can do. They've been holding back so they don't show everything to each other. They push each other to get stronger with their own rivalry which is also why Sakura will get stronger trying catch." Kakashi said with a hint of pride in his voice.

"If you're that confident in them then why do you think your blondie betrayed you?" Aoi asked in a teasing tone. "I might be able to have Yugito sway him over the us and Kumo would have two 'weapons'." Aoi continued in the same tone. Kakashi only chuckled confusing Aoi. He then released her from his grip.

"I knew Naruto would react that way. I know my cute lil' genin and I also been watching them. It may be the other way round for Konoha, heh." Kakashi said as he began to walk forward. "Now down to a serious matter. Why does Kumogakure want me dead? I know I have many enemies but this case is very strange to me. Is Kumo really willing to start another 'Great Ninja War'?" Kakashi asked in a serious tone. Aoi sighed and shook her head.

"I never said Kumo wanted you dead. I said we were hired to take your head... There's an organization out there that really wants you dead and has a lot of pull and money. Don't know what you did to piss them off, but they're the wrong type to piss off. But I myself don't understand why they sent my squad to take you out. I am thinking maybe to test Yugito's abilities as a weapon since she is now an official kunoichi. Another reason I have is to get rid of her and me. We both aren't exactly very popular back in Kumo." Aoi said as she began to look down at her feet. Kakashi just shrugged it off as he decided to get a better look at how his genin were doing.

**III**

Naruto and Sasuke were staring down Gato and his men.

"You ready, dobe? Don't die or I'll kill you." Sasuke said as he crouched to his fighting stance.

"As if you can kill me now." Naruto said in an annoyed tone as he ran through few seals with his right hand, increasing the wind in his Kaze Gaitou. As if on cue, both of them dashed into the crowd of mercs and nuke-nin. Sasuke's chakra control and speed had greatly increased since his Sharigan became active. He effortlessly dodge every attack that was sent at him and every counter with his kunai was precise and deadly. He moved so smoothly and quickly, that none of the blood landed on him.

Naruto, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. His Kazekatana was leaving a bloody mess and his Kaze Gaitou was pushing the blood everywhere. Both Naruto and Sasuke did not realize that they both were keeping up with the other's kill count to see who was better.

On the other side of the bridge, Sakura was doing her best with the mercs she was dealing with, but it was very frustrating, seeing in the corner of her eye the cloud kunoichi flowing through all of her opponents with ease. If she was going to be recognized by both of her teammates, she was going to have to be better than her. Suddenly, something snapped within Sakura as she kicked the closest nuke-nin off the bridge. Her blows became harder and faster. Her counters became finishers and even her movements became as fluid as the river. It almost looked like she was dancing through her opponents as she knocked each one that was unlucky enough to step in her path out with one blow.

Gato could not believe how his men, the very men his hard 'earned' money bought, were being wiped out by... by kids. Gato slowly began to back up as he watched in horror as each and everyone of his men was being killed. It seemed the kunoichi finished first since they were suddenly behind the two shinobi who could have easily been mistaken as devils by the way they were fighting.

"Wait... wait! I c-c-can pay you anything... any amount you want if you guys work for me!" He glanced over at the blonde and noticed he had no expression on his blood covered face. He knew he wouldn't be able to reason with him. The raven haired kid had a similar expression but without the blood. And the kunoichi to him were out of the question because he felt the two in front were stronger. Suddenly he felt a sharp poke as a kunai entered his back. This caused Naruto's expression to shift to one of surprise. Everybody had forgot all about Haku...

"This is for stumping Zabuza and betraying him..." Haku said as he pushed the kunai even deeper into him. Gato eyes glazed over as he fell to his knees and then to his face. Haku then glanced over at Sasuke.

"Finished what you started, Uchiha." Haku sighed.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. Haku nodded his head and pulled off his mask to reveal his real face. He was young just like them. And he also looked just like a female which confused team seven. Yugito remained unaffected by it, because this was her first time seeing Haku.

"I... have no reason to live now..." Haku said as he walked over to Zabuza and kneeled down and began to shed tears. "My life... my only meaning in life was to protect him. Back when I had nothing else to live for because my entire family was dead thanks to my bloodline, he gave me a reason to live. He was the only person who had a use for me and now, with him gone, I no longer have a purpose." Haku continued as he could no longer hold back the waterfall tears as began to sob.

"Wrong!" Naruto yelled. Everybody turned to look at him as he glared daggers at Haku. "What point would there be if you gave up on living now! Open your eyes and think. Your life is not over just because he's is. You still have enough life to live for the both of you. Zabuza would have most likely have you live than to die a worthless death..." Naruto finished as he lowered his head. It had gotten too hard for him to hold back his own tears.

"Then... What am I going to do now? I have nowhere to go and no one who cares whether I live or die." Haku said as he continued to kneel over Zabuza's body not wanting to look up at them.

"Konoha... Come with us to Konoha. We'll take you in. One thing I recently learned..." Naruto looked over at Yugito who looked back at him; both smiled slightly at each other. Naruto turned back toward Haku and continued what he was saying. "...you are never truly alone."

_'What was that all about?'_ Sasuke asked himself.

_'Don't tell me those two are...?!'_ Sakura asked herself.

"Just give it a chance. If not for you, do it for Zabuza." Naruto added as he reached his hand out to Haku. He glanced up and wiped his eyes before taking his hand.

"I will try it... for Zabuza-san..." Both Naruto and Haku smiled as suddenly rain began to pour down on the scene. The rain helped wash all of the blood into the ocean below.

**IV**

Finally times in Wave were those of happy ones again. With the tyrant Gato gone, the trade reopened between Wave and other countries. Businesses began to thrive again since they now had fresh items to sell. The once solemn and beaten expressions of the villagers were replaced with ones of happiness and hope, hope for the future, which in the past was almost unheard of.

The once beggars were now healthy shoppers. This was truly a new wave and it was all thanks to a couple of genin from Konoha. Surprisingly, Naruto became very popular within the country as he helped out in the rebuilding of several places, at the same time... Team seven along with Haku, and Team Aoi stayed in the village helping out here and there until the bridge was complete.

Lei survived Naruto's brutal beating with the loss of an eye, which he never forgave Naruto for. Regardless, Naruto did not care if he did or not. Lei still wanted the blond dead but one thing he did not dare to do was attack him out of fear of losing the other eye or worst. But he was bent on getting his revenge after they returned to Kumo and a serious session of training. But if there was one thing he remembered from his fight with Naruto, it was the last thing Naruto said. He still looked down on Yugito for what she had in her, but he no longer treated her like a tool.

Ty, on the otherhand, still treated Yugito the same but not as much. She had other things on her mind now. One was gaining the attention of the handsome raven haired leaf genin known as Sasuke. And getting revenge on the pink haired kunoichi who embarrassed her on the bridge. During their stay in Wave, she tried to make several passes at Sasuke but they all came up a blank. She wasn't about to let that stop her.

Every since they set foot in Wave, Yugito's world has been turned upside-down. She managed to find someone else who shared her pain and said person also turned out to be the first person who didn't treat her like a tool. Her chest was filled with a lot of unfamiliar feelings every time she thought about them. But she did not know what they were or who to talk to about them to. As she was thinking this, the pink haired kunoichi walked past her.

**V**

Sakura was deep in thought as she walked past a new café that just opened up along the coast. She was wondering how she could recreate the moves she somehow pulled off during the battle on the bridge. Her movements were so unreal, the weirdest part about it was the fact that she was having fun while doing it. It felt so natural to her that it almost had a soothing feel to it.

She was so caught up in her thought process that she had walked right into Yugito who had walked outside to see her. Sakura fell to the ground while Yugito just stumbled and then regained her balance. Her cat-like reflexes came in handy even in the least expected circumstances.

"Oh... gomen... you?!" Sakura yelled as she pointed at Yugito. The blonde just gave her a weird look as if she was confused.

"I... I have... a question that you may be able to answer." Yugito said as she reached her hand down to help Sakura up.

"Question? Why are you asking me?" Sakura asked. She had a very confused look on her face. Why would this girl want to ask her a question?

"I... don't know. Gomen." Yugito said as she bowed. Sakura rolled her eyes as Yugito bowed and sighed.

"Just ask it..." Sakura said in a defeated tone. They both entered the café and took a sit at the table Yugito was previously sitting at.

Sakura glanced around the café and noticed how much it had changed. This was her first time in it since they first help build it. She ordered a lemonade and waiting for it to be delivered. Her mind slowly began to drift back to her own question. How did she do that? The waitress came back with her lemonade and she looked up at Yugito. "So... what is this question you wanted to ask me?" She asked in a nonchalant way.

"I... I get these strange feelings in my chest whenever I see or think of... Naruto-san." Sakura nearly spit her drink in Yugito's face hearing that new bit of information.

"I knew it!" Sakura yelled startling everyone in the café. At first Yugito's face blushed when she said Naruto's name but now it had returned to its normal colour, she was confused, though. Very confused.

"You... knew it?" Yugito asked with almost no emotion in her voice. Sakura calmed herself down and leaned in closer.

"I knew you and Naruto had something going on." Sakura said. Yugito, still confused, had no clue what Sakura was talking about.

"Something going on?" Yugito asked the same way she asked her other question. Sakura sighed and glared at her, then she laughed a little.

"You guys are sadly perfect for each other. Both of you are 'very' slow. " Sakura said. Now Yugito was about at the end of rope.

"What does all have to do with these strange feelings?" Yugito said with a hint of aggravation.

"Wow... So he is your first crush too? This is too adorable." Sakura said. She was eating this up, hearing Yugito confess to her that she liked Naruto reminded her of her academy days of gossip and Sasuke-chasing. Yugito on the other was on the verge of choking Sakura."

"Would you please answer my question..." Yugito said as she tried to bite down her frustration. Sakura began to laugh a little harder.

"Ok. Ok. Your question. It means you really like your Naruto-kun." Yugito instantly blushed. She never would have thought she would have liked anyone in her life. Sakura continued to giggle at Yugito's expense. It had finally dawned her.

_'Yup. They are definitely made for each other...'_

"What... what should I do?" Yugito asked as her face still sported a red tint.

"You should tell him how you feel before we leave. I know for a fact he feels the same way about you." Sakura said with a huge grin on her face as Yugito's face grew redder at the thought of telling him.

"Can you do it?" Yugito asked. Sakura shook her head.

"This is something you have to do. And you better hurry, we leave tonight since the bridge has finally been completed." Sakura said. Yugito sighed to herself. It was funny for Sakura to see this girl whose face normally wore no expression was flashing through so many within a minute. Jumping from nervousness, to fear, to shyness, to even eagerness.

"One more question..." Yugito asked.

"Yeah?" Sakura replied.

"What is your relationship with Naruto-san?" Yugito asked. Sakura instantly started laughing out loud.

"That baka?! He is just a team-mate to me. I'm more interested in the mysterious and dark type." Sakura said as images of Sasuke began to flash through her mind. "Oh, and you sure start calling him Naruto-'kun' since he already calls you Yugito-'chan'." Sakura continued as she tried to contain her laughter. Yugito began to wonder if it was a bad idea asking her in the first place, but now she knew she had to make her mind up and quick.

**VI**

**Seeing those people happy and helping them rebuild their lives sort of rekindled my dream of become Hokage back then. The people of wave seriously loved me. If only Konoha would show me the same love...**

It was dusk as me and the rest of Team Seven along with Haku began to cross the bridge. A crowd of people began to form at the end of the bridge cheering us own. Not only did we just complete an 'A' rank mission as genin but we also became heroes and save a hold country. To say I had something to brag about now was an understatement.

"Well that was fun." I said as I place my hands behind my head. Sakura-chan looked over at me and began to giggle almost uncontrollably. I looked over at her with a confused look.

"What's so funny?" I asked. She looked up at and continued to laugh.

"Oh, nothing." She said.

"Yeah, there is, or you wouldn't be laughing." I replied.

"Oh, you'll find out." She said as she continued to giggle. At that time Sasuke had finally lost his patience and decided to take it out on me instead of Sakura-chan, which always confused me.

"Hey dobe... I still owe you an ass whooping for what did on the bridge earlier." He said as he turned toward me. His eye instantly flare up as activated his Sharigan. To match his show, I quickly activated my Kaze Gaitou at full blast, causing wind to blow in all directions around me. Haku giggled at us as he walked passed us.

"You guys are funny." Haku said. Kakashi-sensei yawned and turn toward us.

"That's enough you two. And Naruto, normally I wouldn't tolerate what you did on the bridge, but everything turned out good so I will let it slide today. You should too Sasuke." Kakashi-sensei scolded. I sighed and Sasuke just shrugged and went off in his own world again. Haku seemed to be in a good mood for some reason. He wore a smile on his face almost the entire trip.

Nightfall came quicker than expected and Kakashi-sensei decided that we should stop for the night. Even though I was looking forward to return to my own comfortable bed back in Konoha I was so exhausted that I wasn't arguing. I didn't get much rest with all the work I did in Wave. I pulled out my knapsack and quickly snuggled up in it, but before I fell asleep Kyuubi decided to start talking.

**'We should train some, kit. I have an idea I want to try for a new wind jutsu for you.' **Kyuubi said. I groaned mentally.

_'I am way too tired to do anything right now. Were you not watching when I had to help all those people out?'_ I mentally whined.

**'Excuses, excuses, kit. You volunteered to do all of that. Not like you were forced to do it. Unlike now. where I am forcing you to do this!'** Kyuubi yelled at me.

_'Sheesh...And you complain about me yelling too much.'_ I said as I started to get out of my knapsack. The night wind was very chilly and I could still taste the salt in it from the ocean. I made my way several yards away from the camp ground. I sensed the chakra signature from someone else coming in fast. I stopped and hid myself behind a tree to catch a glimpse of this person. Suddenly, said person landed on the ground from the tree tops and continued on until I recognized who it was.

"Yugito-chan?" I asked. Said person turn toward me and her expressionless face lit up into a smile. Kyuubi sighed as I walked toward her.

"What are doing here? I thought you guys had already left." I asked as I approached her. She just continued to stare at me with that same strange expression. I wasn't used to seeing her smile, but I had to say she should do more often because it made her even more beautiful.

She suddenly leapt into my arms giving me a very strong hug. I returned the hug but I still was confused on why she was here.

_**As I said before. I had to be densest person in the world. I still wonder how I could come up with plans in the heat of battle on the fly, yet be so clueless outside of the battlefield.**_

"I'm glad I caught you. I have something to tell you Naruto...-kun." She said as she blushed and turned her head to try to hide it. "I really like you Naruto-kun..." She continued. That sentence was almost like a lightning bolt had struck me. I always wanted someone to say that sentence to me, but never really thought I would get to here it. I snapped myself back into reality as a huge grin grew on my face.

"I really like you too, Yugito-chan." I said to her. Then it dawned on me that we may never see each other again. We were not only from different villages but from different countries as well. For a second, I thought about running away with her, but then I remember that I had things that I still needed to do. My expression, which was once filled with happiness now showed only sadness. As if she could read my mind, she looked up and smiled at me still.

"Do not worry about that, Naruto-kun... We will find a way when the time comes. But now I have to go... my issuo is waiting for me. She only gave me a hour before she would leave without me." Yugito said as slowly back up. I really wanted to go with her, and it was very hard to sway myself not to but I had a goal to achieve. If me and her were really meant to be together we would definitely see each other again. She leaped into on the trees and began to dash off. I let out a loud sigh. I already missed her.

**VII**

The people of Wave were throwing a huge celebration due to the completion of the bridge and to celebrate a new era in their lives. On the wall of the auditorium everybody was in, were pictures of Kaiza and of Team Seven.

"So, what you going to name the bridge, Tazuna-san?" A random person asked as he stood in the middle of the room. He glanced up at the picture of team seven and Naruto in particular.

"I think we should name it the 'The Great Naruto Bridge'." Everyone at the party agreed on the name without any objections.

_**I finally was recognized and respected, not in my village but at least somewhere. And I found someone who was special to me in a way more than just a friend.**_


	8. Chapter 8: A Change of Pace

**Author's Note: First off I would like Aldo Montoya for the idea of putting this story in the Naruto & Kyuubi sections. The hits average nearly trippled and around 8 new people added my story to their favorite list but still no reviews :(. But thanks all who have reviewed and thanks to those who have enjoyed my story so far.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Eight: A Change of Pace

_**The rest of the trip back home went by fast. Mainly because my mind was still stuck in wonderland, due to the fact that I had finally had a girlfriend and not just a one-sided crush. I didn't think about what I was going to do about seeing her again until I walked past the gates of Konoha.**_

I could tell the watchmen were thrown off when they saw Haku walking beside us. Kakashi-sensei nodded to them to symbolize that he was all right. One thing I couldn't explain was why Haku wore the same smile the duration of the journey. It almost looked as if he didn't care about Zabuza's death. But then it hit me, he was doing something I had been doing for my entire life. Wearing a mask. He was hiding his true feelings. It just is amazing how big the world really is when you think about it. Before I left this village I thought I was only person in this world to be forced to carry a heavy burden alone. Yet I find someone just like and me and someone who has lost the one thing they had to live for. The world was a big one indeed.

"You guys should head home and gets some rest. Haku you have to come with me. We must speak with Sandaime-sama to decide what we will officially do with you." Kakashi-sensei said. He then glanced over at us. "You guys did very good. I couldn't be more proud." He continued. I put my hands behind my head and Sasuke shrugged it off as if it was nothing. Sakura-chan on the other hand did nothing. She looked like she was stuck in deep thought and I didn't even know if she even heard the compliment.

"You guys are dismissed. Report to the training grounds at noon." Kakashi-sensei said.

"Hai!" We all yelled. Kakashi-sensei turned around and began to head toward the Hokage Tower with Haku right behind him.

"Now what?" Sakura-chan asked. I yawned and stretched my arms.

"We do have the whole day to enjoy ourselves for a change." I said as I looked over at my two team-mates. Sasuke sent me a death glare that instantly pissed me off. "So you want to continue where we left off in Wave then teme?" I said as I stepped forward. His glare turned into a smirk as he stepped up too.

"Don't start this, guys!" Sakura yelled as she stepped in between us. I sighed and Sasuke turned his back to me. "There... Let's get alone for once. I think we should go collect our money for the mission and go out and eat somewhere as a team." She continued. I really wanted to beat the hell out of the teme, but the thought of eating ramen quickly changed my mind.

**'Don't think you can forget about your promise kit. We still need to train. You skipped out on it earlier and now we have to make up for that.'** Kyuubi said as she cut into my thoughts. I mentally sighed.

_'Yeah, I remember. Do you want me to skip out on my team-mates and eating?'_ I asked. I managed to talk Kyuubi into giving me a break after Yugito had left me that night. I was surprised she gave in to my demands so easily. Usually she refuses to give me any mercy when it came to training.

**'Yes, baka!'** Kyuubi yelled. I sighed and look over at the other two.

"I'm going to have to pass. Sakura-chan. Gomen." I said as I bowed and ran off. I heard Sakura-chan call out to me but with the already loud chatter of the Konoha streets and the amount of distance I had put between me and them, I played it as though I hadn't. I felt bad for ditching them, but I had to keep up my training to keep getting stronger. Sasuke had finally awakened his Sharingan, taking away the thoughts I had that I passed him in ability. I could tell we both wanted to find out who was better, but there was always some sort of interruption to stop us.

I quickly dashed back to my apartment to at least make a meal first before I started the training. I couldn't train properly on an empty stomach and even Kyuubi had to give in to that request. After I made it home, I quickly cooked me up a couple bowls of chicken flavoured ramen and scarfed it down as I began to head toward our usual training spot secluded from the rest of the village. This was the first time I was going be training here in daylight. But there was still enough trees to keep me hidden.

**'Starting from today on, we will triple your warm-up and closing training sessions. I want you to summon three times as many clones as you are used to.'** Kyuubi said as soon as I entered our spot. I sighed and did the hand seals with my right hand. I knew I needed the extra training to get stronger if I was ever going to become the Hokage and beat the crap out of the teme. The warm-up training was very intense with the added pressure of ninety clones instead of just thirty like before. It also took a little bit longer for me to take them all out using all of my jutsu. After we were done I was a little winded but ready for what she had in store for me.

**'We never got to the third and fourth stages for your Kaze Gaitou. That neko keep interrupting things in Wave.'** Kyuubi said with a hint of bitterness.

_'Third and fourth stage?'_ I asked deciding to ignore her annoyance toward Yugito-chan. She nodded as she walked towards a tree and leaned against it.

**'But before we take it to the next level I must perform the second ritual on you. This one will only render your right arm useless for a day. Which was the reason why I insisted that we did this today.'** She said with a serious expression.

_'Will it hurt as much as the first one?'_ I asked with a concern look.

**'I don't know...'** She said as she turned her head.

_'Why do we need to go through a second ritual anyway?'_ I demanded. I was not liking the way this was going. She suddenly appeared behind me and gripped my right arm tightly. She even dug her nails into my skin, causing it to draw blood.

**'Stage three and four of your jutsu requires more chakra than you currently have circulating through your chakra system, even with the previous amount I added. You also have grown used to my chakra and your body's threshold can tolerate more of my chakra without killing you. I'm actually surprised that your body has actually acquired a crave for it instead of rejecting it like I originally thought it would. Which is a good thing.'** She let out a sinister chuckle as she suddenly began the painful ritual. The pain was actually worst than before. It almost felt like my body was about to explode. The pain caused me to blackout in the middle of it. And that was the last thing I remembered of that night.

**II**

A couple of days passed as team seven re-adjusted to the everyday life of Konoha. Haku went through interrogation to make sure he was no threat to the village. After that, the Sandaime decided to appoint Haku as an official genin of Konohagakure. After he was given his official leaf headband he decided to take a walk around the village. As he entered the forest, he ran into Sakura sitting down on the side of the pathway.

"Is everything ok, Sakura-san?" Haku asked with a smile on his face. Sakura was startled at first, but quickly calmed herself down. She was still getting used to the idea of Haku being an ally not to mention the fact that 'he' looked so much like a 'she'. She shook the thought from her head and nodded.

"I'm fine." She said as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"What were you doing if I may ask?" He asked. She began to contemplate if she should tell the truth or not. She suddenly decided to tell him. He could possibly be of some help to her since he had been trained as an ANBU for the majority of his life.

"Back on the bridge in Wave country, I did something to those nuke-nin that I never thought I would be capable of. And I do not remember what it was but it took out every guy that tried to fight me." She said as she tried to replay the events over in her mind.

"You're talking about when you were doing that strange dance?" Haku asked. Sakura gave him a questioning look.

"Dance?" She asked as she tried to figure out what he was talking about.

"Yes, you were doing some kind of dance with your eyes closed. It was very unorthodox, I have never seen a fighting style like that before. Even the air around you gave off a strange aura." Haku said. Sakura suddenly had to take a sit and let everything sink in. She was so caught up in the moment that she did not even realize that her eyes were closed. At least she knew what she did during that time, but it left her with the same problem where she did not know how she did it.

"Do you need any help trying to figure it out, Sakura-san?" Haku asked as he knelt down beside her. Her head instantly popped up and she looked over at him.

"You know how to help me do that again!?" She yelled. He nodded as he smiled.

"Arigatou, Haku-kun!" She yelled again as she hugged him.

Unknown to both of them, Sasuke just happened to be walking down the same pathway. He was looking for the perfect spot for him to train, but what he found was something that served to disturb him more than he original thought it would. It was Sakura and Haku hugging. Deciding not to jump to conclusion he leapt into the trees and concealed himself. He didn't understand what was going on. Why were they hugging each other? Regardless what Kakashi, Naruto, or even the Hokage thought or said, he still couldn't trust Haku. And now, the last person he knew would be on his side in this situation was actually hugging him. Not to mention there was a hint of jealousy floating within his mind.

Haku sensed a strong killer intent focused directly on him from somewhere around the pathway. He left Sakura's embrace and began to scan the area. His smile had finally faded into a serious expression.

"What's wrong, Haku-kun?" Sakura asked. Haku shook his head and returned his smile back to his face.

"Nothing, Sakura-san. Do you want to start now?" Haku asked as he continued to look around. Sakura, oblivious to what was going on, just nodded. She was too excited to even question his behaviour.

**III**

**Now both of my arms sported the tattoos of the ritual Kyuubi had performed on me. One thing she was definitely right about, was the fact that I could feel the difference with more of her chakra becoming mine. I felt a lot stronger than before and I had acquired a taste for it as I felt it surge through my chakra system.**

There I stood, in middle of our personal training ground after I had completed the warm up. I was still excited about the fact that our C-Rank mission had been upgraded to an A-Rank. Increasing the amount of cash we received and also the respect. It would be hard to believe that a team of genin was able to complete such a high ranking mission.

**'Stop daydreaming!'** Kyuubi yelled. I shrugged her off as I glanced over at her.

_'So what is this third stage all about, baka kitsune?'_ I said as I taunted her. Her expression shifted to one of annoyance.

**'What did I tell you about that nickname, kit?'** She asked in her coldest voice.

_'Yeah, yeah, gomen. So, tell me what is it.'_

**'First, activate your Kaze Gaitou.'** She said. I nodded and did the proper seals with my right hand, causing the wind to mod with the chakra that my body was releasing, creating a wind barrier that was fitted to my body. **'You noticed on Wave that you could increase the amount of wind you have in your barrier. Now, we're going use that but I want you to mould your chakra into a dome that covers a six foot perimeter around you and hold it.'** Kyuubi continued. It took me a little to get the hang of this task. But thanks to my body quickly adapting to Kyuubi's newly added chakra, it made it easier to control. The hardest part was forcing the wind to continue to mould with my chakra as I did this. But surprisingly, that was down in no time. I was starting to get used to moulding my chakra with the wind. After what felt like a few hours, I had the wind dome created. I glanced over at Kyuubi for further instructions.

**'Good job, kit. Now, I want you to take control of all the wind within the dome. Once we complete this stage, this jutsu will be your version of a perfect defense. The point behind this jutsu is when something enters your perimeter the wind within the dome will rip at them. Your job would be to use that force to punch and kick your opponent as the wind rips at them. With the combined force of the wind, it will make your close range attacks almost five times as fast and as painful. The only catch is you can only move within the perimeter of your dome.'** She said as she walked around my dome. I stared at her as I tried to take control of the wind within the dome.

**'Try forcing the wind into a circular motion around you, almost like a tornado.'** She continued as she studied the jutsu she was creating. It almost seemed like she enjoyed using me as her personal guinea pig for all of her new jutsu. She suddenly threw a couple of rocks into my wind dome which were severely ripped apart.

**'Finally you completed this damn jutsu.'** She said as she taunted. **'I think we should name stage three Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu.'** I nodded as I released the jutsu. At least I did not have to make up new seals since it used the same basics as Kaze Gaitou. Just needed to add more to the end to help me control the wind within the dome.

_'So you deciding the names for my jutsu now?'_ I asked playfully as I leaned against a tree close by.

**'Yeah, kit, didn't think a baka like you could come up with a good name. You should head home now, since the training is complete for the day.'** She said.

_'What about my closing training?'_ I asked. I was shocked that she would actually let me off.

**'This jutsu has been a two-day process to complete I think you deserve a break. Even I can be easy on you when you deserve it, kit.'** She said as a smirk grew on her face.

Before I decided to go back to my apartment I decided to head to my favorite little restaurant for my favourite food in the world, Ichiraku's. I was more than surprised to see Sakura-chan with Haku there.

"Uh... Hey, guys." I called out to them. "Hey, ojii-san! The usual!" I shouted.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Naruto. Coming right up!" Teuchi greeted as he went back into the kitchen.

"Where have you been, Naruto?" Ayame asked as she sat Haku's and Sakura-chan's bowls down for them.

"Nowhere too important. Just a couple of missions here and there." I said as I literally drooled over the sweet aroma that was teasing my senses. I looked over at Sakura-chan and smiled.

"What are you 'two' doing her together." I asked in a teasing tone which almost proved to be a mistake.

"Don't get the wrong idea, baka!" She yelled as she blushed. I chuckled a little, mostly out of fear because I was so accustomed to Sakura beating me sadly.

"Hello, Naruto-san." Haku greeted as he looked up from his bowl of ramen.

"Hey, Haku. What have you been up to?" I asked as I patiently waited for my ramen. Or at least I tried. The smell was driving me crazy. Learning new jutsu always left me starving.

"Just learning the village and training with Sakura-san." He said. Sakura-chan instantly popped up as I became intrigued. It had to be something Sakura-chan didn't want me or Sasuke to know if she was acting that way.

"Oh? And how is that going?" I asked trying to get more information.

"That's not for you to know, Naruto... At least not right now, that is.' Sakura-chan said as she turned the other way.

"Here you go, Naruto." Ayame said as she brought what I had been missing since we left for Wave. I quickly grabbed my chopsticks and pulled them apart and began to dig in. I was so hungry that I did not realize Sakura-chan and Haku had left until I had finished my eight bowl. I placed my money on the counter and exited the restaurant now feeling a lot better than before.

_'Should I spy on them?'_ I asked myself.

**'How would you feel if they spied on you during your private training?'** Kyuubi said. I shrugged and decided not to since she did have a point.

_**For some reason we didn't have any missions over the next week, which was ok to me. I had gotten so much money from that A-Rank mission that I was covered for a while. Not to mention it gave me some time to work on my Kaze Gaitou and Kaze Uzu Gaitou. During that time, I did not see Sasuke or Sakura-chan. Not til Kakashi-sensei had left me a message that we would have a team meeting the next morning. I just shrugged it off as another briefing for a mission but I was in for a real surprise.**_

I was the second one to make it to team seven's usual meeting area. The bridge where I first revealed the 'new' me to my team-mates. Sasuke was there leaning against the rails with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. I was surprised that Sakura-chan wasn't anywhere around him like she used to be. It seemed our team was starting to slowly go our own separate ways.

"About time you made it here, dobe..." Sasuke said as he remained in his same position. Deciding it was too early to play this game I just decided to get things down to business. I pulled out two kunai and glanced up at him and noticed he was gone.

_'What the hell?'_ I asked myself. It finally hit me where he went. I quickly did a back-flip as he came landing down in front of me. Both eyes flaring red as his Sharingan now sported two tomoe. Looked like me and Sakura-chan hadn't been the only ones training over the week.

With my right hand behind my back, I did the seals to activate my Kaze Gaitou creating a large burst of wind to surge through the bridge causing the water below us to sway a little. I could tell the little bridge we were on would not be able to stand up our fight.

"How come every time I close my eyes you two are at each other's throat?" Sakura-chan said as she finally made her arrival in a new attire. The changes did not go unnoticed by me or Sasuke as we both just gawked at her.

She had replaced her pink shirt with a black version with the same O symbol on her back but this time her shirt was wide open. Underneath was a dark pink tanktop that only covered her chest area. The rest was a chainmail long sleeve shirt. She wore the same biker style black shorts. She also wore her forehead protector on her forehead now, instead of wrapped in her hair which was also shorter too.

"Sakura-chan?" I said still caught off guard by the changes.

"You like it?" Sakura-chan asked as she blushed. Sasuke finally snapped out of his trance and turned his back as he deactivated his Sharingan. After about another two hours of waiting finally Kakashi-sensei appeared with his usual perverted book in his hand.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Me and Sakura-chan yelled. Instead of giving us his usual excuses he just pulled out three slips of paper and handed them to us. They were registration papers for admission to enter the chuunin exams.

"This isn't a joke, is it?" I asked as I looked up at him. He shook his head and gave us his smiling 'eye'.

"You three deserve it, even as rookies. Plus, the other two rookie teams have been entered too, so I couldn't pass up the chance to allow you guys to prove that you're the best team in Konoha." Kakashi-sensei said. I was so excited that I literally leaped in the air. After completing this, I would be one stage closer to my goal of Hokage. "You guys can have the rest of the day to yourselves to decide if you truly want to participate. You will meet at the academy this time tomorrow if you all decide to enter." Kakashi-sensei continued. As if I would need to think it over. After that Kakashi-sensei shushin-ed off somewhere and we each went our separate ways.

It seemed that the next day couldn't come quick enough for me. I couldn't even sleep due to the excitement. Finally I had a chance to show Konoha that I wasn't just the Kyuubi gaki or the youkai like they saw me as. I was up bright and early in the morning and fully dressed. I was even up before Kyuubi which wasn't usual.

I decided to go on a walk to help calm my nerves a little before I had to be academy at noon. Surprisingly, I ran into Sakura-chan, most likely doing the same thing.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan!" I greeted. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Ohayo, Naruto. What are you doing up so early?" She asked.

"I couldn't sleep thanks to how excited I was. So, I was already awake at sunrise and decided to go on a walk to help calm me. What about you?" I said as did a little stretch.

"The same as you kinda..." She said almost sounding a little hesitant.

"Want to walk with me, then?" I asked. Sakura-chan and we began our walk around the village.

_**I have to say that Konoha looked completely like a different place in the morning. It was more peaceful and thanks to it being so early I did not have to deal with the death glares like I did in the afternoon.**_

I started to get a strange vibe from Sakura-chan that I had never felt before. It seemed that she felt uncertain about what she should do.

"Hey Sakura-chan?" She glanced over at me. "You don't have anything to worry about. I believe in you and I think you should believe in yourself. Everybody in team seven is going to be promoted chuunin after this is over." I said with a huge smile on my face. She smiled in return. Hopefully that made her feel a little bit better.

Suddenly I started to get another vibe, but this one was familiar, too familiar. I instantly figured out what it was as I turned around to see the one person that I wished I could see everyday.

"Yugito-chan." I said as I saw her standing there with her team.

_**I was more than happy to see Yugito-chan here in Konoha. The only times I could get her out of my mind was during training and that night before the chuunin exam. But why was she here?**_


	9. Chapter 9: Enter the Chuunin Exam

**Author's Note: Thanks everyone for all the support and reviews I've gotten so far. I apologize if this one use to much of the cannon but couldn't think of any other way to start the exams. Yet again I would like say thanks for the love and hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
Chapter Nine: Enter the Chuunin Exam

_**I was so happy to see Yugito-chan that I had almost forgotten all about the chuunin exam later that day. At that point, the only thing that mattered was the fact that she was there.**_

"Yugito-chan!" I said as a large smile grew on my face. She returned my smile, but before I could properly greet her with a hug, one of her teammates stepped in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I asked a little annoyed. The strange cloud nin just glared at me with his one eye, similar to the way Kakashi-sensei but his left eye was covered. Then it hit me who this nin was. "Wait a minute... You're that one shinobi that I nearly killed in Wave. How did you survive that again? I was sure I left you for dead." I teased as I looked through him towards Yugito-chan. As far as I was concerned, he was just an annoying obstacle in my way to get to Yugito-chan.

"My name is Lei! And I shall get my revenge during the exams!" He said as he released as much killer intent as he could.

_'So that's why she is here.'_ I said to myself.

**'What other logical reason would she be here for, baka?'** Kyuubi said in her annoyed tone.

_'You know, you make it very difficult to have a nice, quiet conversation with myself.'___I replied.

**'Good, you are already messed up enough.' **Kyuubi said as I mentally sighed.

"Yeah, you do that... Hey, Yugito-chan want to walk with me and Sakura-chan so I show you around the village?" I said completely ignoring the annoying bastard. I was so focused on Yugito-chan that I almost didn't notice the killer intent the other kunoichi was flaring toward Sakura-chan and she was returning it full force. Things were starting to get a little too tense. Luckily, Yugito-chan agreed and we made our way past the other two cloud-nin.

"I didn't think you guys would enter the chuunin exams too." Sakura-chan said. Yugito-chan just nodded.

"Issou felt we were more than ready to ascend to the next level of shinobi. And the fact that this year exams are being held here in Konoha made her choice even easier." She said as she glanced over at me and smiled.

Suddenly something caught the corner or my eye that was painfully obvious to notice.

"What are you doing?" I said in an annoyed tone. For a second nothing happened and both Yugito-chan and Sakura-chan just looked at me. Suddenly Konohamaru leaped out from his horribly hidden cover up along with his team and tried to attack me. But I just stepped to the side and watch as they sadly flew passed me and face first into the dirt.

_'Kami, I used to be just like that...'_ I mentally said.

**'Still are, baka.'** Kyuubi teased.

"As expected of our Oyabun. But soon I'll take your position." Konohamaru shouted. I just laughed.

"Oyabun?" Yugito-chan asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. Konohamaru and his friends sort of look up to me." I said with a huge smirk on my face.

"No! You're my rival. I will beat you to the title of Hokage!" Konohamaru yelled. With that he got up and dusted himself off and took off running in the direction ahead of us with the others in tow.

Suddenly there was a scream from that area and then I heard Konohamaru's voice scream "let me go". I quickly ran to that area to see a strange sand nin in what looked like an all black cat suit holding Konhamaru up by his throat with a blonde kunoichi behind him.

"What is going on here?" Sakura-chan asked.

"This little gaki decided to be rude and bump into me. I think I should teach him a little lesson so he will have it embedded in his brain not to disrespect his superiors." The strange sand nin said.

"That's enough. Put him down before I have to put 'you' in your place." I said in a very stern and serious voice.

"Oh? I see this baka wants to die at an early age." He said as he glared back at me.

"That's enough, Kankuro, you know what Gaara would do if he catches you like this." The blonde kunoichi said to him.

"I can handle this guy without even breaking a sweat." He said back to her.

Now I was starting to get annoyed so I did a few handseals as I slid my hands behind my back. While he was still discussing with that girl my clone appeared behind him and grabbed Konohamaru.

"What the hell!?" He yelled as he turned to grab my clone but he was met with a foot to the face instead sending him flying backwards toward the ground.

"You alright, Konohamaru?" I asked.

"You bet, oyabun!" Konohamaru cheered. I glanced up and noticed the sand nin was grabbing at the large object he had strapped on his back.

"What do you think you are doing, baka?!" The sand kunoichi yelled at him.

"What I am doing is killing him in a few seconds." He said as he slammed the huge object on the ground. I smirked and pulled out two of my kunai, but before I could activate my jutsu I felt a strange presence.

**'Argh... And now we have another one... Why do humans wish to seal youkai in their young?'** Kyuubi said.

_'Huh? I another one of us?'_ I asked.

"That is enough, Kankuro. You know better than to behave like this." A voice said from out of nowhere. I began to scan the area for the source until I glanced up at the tree that was right above us. There he stood, like the other two, he also had a object strapped on his back. This one looked like a gourd. His eyes had black rings around them as if never slept and his hair was almost a blood red. He also had the kanji for love tattooed to his forehead. It also seemed he was the leader of the other two judging by the expressions they wore when they saw him.

"You. What is your name?" The red haired sand nin asked me.

"Uzumaki Naruto. What is yours?" I asked.

"Sabaku no Gaara, not many people can get the best of Kankuro. I look forward to testing your strength myself." He said as he stared down at me. This guy was starting to creep me out. Everything he said was with the same facial expression almost like Yugito-chan but the vibe he was giving off just sent chills up my spine.

"Likewise." I replied. He glared over at the other two and then shushin-ed off in a swirl of sand.

"You pissed him off, baka!" The kunoichi yelled at the sand nin. Both of them quickly ran off. I let out a loud sigh as I relaxed.

"Did you notice, Naruto-kun?" Yugito-chan asked as she walked up closer to me.

"Yeah, I did." I replied.

"Noticed what?" Sakura-chan asked.

"Uh..." I tried to think of something quick so I wouldn't have to tell her the truth. "that those guys were weird..." I said as I glanced over at Yugito-chan.

"That's not what I meant, Naruto-kun." Yugito-chan said with a confused look on her face. Things were not looking good for me until...

"What was that all about, dobe?" The teme said as he stood on the roof of the building right by us.

"I have no clue, teme.." I said as I mentally thanked him for the interruption.

"I should get back to my team, Naruto-kun." She said as she bowed and ran off. I sighed as I watched her run the opposite way.

"Miss her already, huh, dobe?" Sasuke said. I chose to ignore his comment and looked over at Sakura-chan who was glaring at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You're hiding something from us, aren't you?" She said in a stern voice.

"Hiding something? ...Huh? I'm not hiding anything." I replied as I tried to evade her glare.

"Don't lie to me!" She yelled as she stomped her foot.

"I'm not!" I yelled back getting a little aggravated.

"Let's go to the academy. It's about time anyway." Sasuke added in as he turned his back and began to walk away.

"Don't think this is over, Naruto..." Sakura-chan said as she stormed off. I sighed to myself and began to walk as well.

Almost as expected, the academy was filled with genin from different countries, but what threw us off was the fact that we would have never imagined that it would be this many.

"So, where do we go?" I asked.

"The first exam is being held on the third floor." Sasuke said.

"Then why are so many people just hanging out on the second floor?" I asked again.

"Because those two chuunin have all the weaklings stuck in their genjutsu, baka." Sasuke said in his usual aggravated tone toward me.

"I know that much, but I also know we can't be the only ones on this floor to have notice this." I said as I stared over at the two chuunin who were under the henge of genin stopping everyone from entering the room. Above them the sign on the door said three when it really should have said two. The two 'genin' had beaten anyone who tried to enter.

"Well look at it this way, Naruto, becoming a chuunin will be a breeze then." Sakura-chan said as she even wore a cocky smirk on her face. How much had she changed since training with Haku?

"True, but it kills all the fun if they all drop the ball here you know. " I said. Sasuke closed his eyes and turned in the direction toward the two 'genin' standing guard at the door.

"That's enough, you two. We know this is just a genjutsu to try to trick them into not taking the exam. This is actually the second floor." Sasuke said as we walked up behind.

"Nani?" Some of the other genin said. The two 'genin' release their genjutsu revealing who they really were. Everyone gasped, during the commotion the two chuunin charged toward Sasuke.

"Sasuke..." I said.

"I know..." He replied. He blocked the first chuunin's attack while I sent a powerful kick to his forehead protector sending him through the door that they were guarding. Sasuke, at the same time, rolled around the chuunin he had blocked and sent a roundhouse kick at the other chuunin sending him right after the first chuunin into the room.

"Not bad teme..." I said.

"I see you still training, huh, dobe?" He replied. The room was silent for a moment as me and Sasuke stood up. We then began to walk up the stairs while the others followed. Suddenly while we were walking in the hallway a genin with long black hair and lavender eyes stopped us.

"I am Hyuuga Neji, what is your name?" He asked Sasuke with a glare that could kill.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke replied as he equaled his glare.

"That's last year number one rookie... Last year rookie vs. This year's number one rookie. Who would win...?" Sakura-chan asked.

"Me..." I said with a stern voice as she quickly looked at me. Before she could say anything I walked past both Sasuke and Neji and released a little bit of my killer intent to announce my own presence before I continued on toward the exam room. As much as I hated to be looked down on, I felt it was too early to prove them wrong. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see another genin wearing all green with his forehead protector wrapped around his waist.

"Sasuke is back there if you want to challenge him." I said as I turned back around.

"I already got your teammate's name but now I want yours. I am Rock Lee." This really caught me off guard.

"Uzumaki Naruto... But why are you interested in me?" I asked.

"You will be a very strong opponent for me, Naruto-san. Not to mention we share a similar bond, we're both consider failures.." I looked up at him with a serious look on my face.

"I will prove my way of the ninja to all those who I consider strong opponents, whether they are a genius or failure does not matter. Therefore, I challenge you to a friendly spar." Lee said. It was hard for me to refuse him with the we he said everything.

"We don't have time, Naruto.." Sakura-chan said. Lee suddenly change his expression as he quickly went up to Sakura-chan.

"Will you be my girlfriend? I will protect you till my death!" Lee said passionately. Sakura-chan was caught off guard a little.

"I refuse, gomen. Besides I can protect myself and I have three people already who protect me..." Sakura-chan said.

_'Three? Did she also include me and... Haku?'_ I asked myself.

"We still have some time, plus, I want to see how the dobe handles himself." Sasuke said as he appeared behind us. Sakura-chan sighed, it was easy to tell that this was annoying her.

**II**

They walked down to the dojo on the first floor.

**'Don't use any of your jutsu, kit.'** Kyuubi said.

_'Why not? He looks like he would be a tough fight.'_ Naruto asked.

**'Because you have two potential threats here and one of them can learn some of your basic jutsu with his cursed eyes. And I am pretty sure the one you're fighting will be holding back as well. This is a spar after all, and not an actual battle.'** Kyuubi said to me. Naruto shrugged and decided to listen to her.

"Are you ready, Naruto-san?" Lee asked as he knelt down in a offensive style, while Naruto sort of mirrored him. Naruto just wanted to test him. Naruto blinked once and Lee was gone. Naruto blinked again and Lee was behind him with his leg aimed directly at Naruto's head.

"Fast..." Sakura said out loud.

_'What jutsu is he using?'_ Sasuke asked himself as he activated his Sharingan.

Naruto barely managed to duck his head causing the attack to fly right over him but he was not prepared for the second attack that followed it as it sent him flying toward the wall. Naruto caught his balance with enough time to stop from crashing into said wall but Lee was already there ready to attack again.

_'How is he moving that fast?'_ Sasuke asked himself. His eyes were not picking up any chakra being used for jutsu._'This guy is actually this fast!'_ Sasuke said to himself as his eyes popped open.

Regardless of what Kyuubi said, he had to use a jutsu or he was going to be humiliated. Naruto went through several hand seals with his right hand but in a awkward position making it hard for an outsider to see.

As Lee collided with Naruto's body it exploded in a puff of white smoke. Lee landed on the ground and began to scan the room for the real Naruto.

"How does Naruto do that?" Sakura asked Sasuke. Unfortunately for Sasuke but luckily for Naruto, Sasuke was too busy watching Lee to pick up on Naruto's jutsu.

Suddenly, Naruto leaped from under a floor board and launched a flurry of punches at Lee, but Lee's speed was far too much for Naruto to land a punch on him.

_'If I could use my main jutsu this wouldn't be so damn hard!'_ Naruto mentally yelled.

**'Stop whining, kit.'** Kyuubi said.

_'Some help you are..'_ Naruto replied.

"That's enough, Lee!" A voice called out to Lee. Everybody looked in the direction where it came from and saw a red and yellow tortoise.

"Is that turtle talking?" Naruto asked. Lee ran toward the tortoise and bowed.

"Gomen!" He yelled. Suddenly a large puff of smoke appeared as a bigger version of Lee appeared before us.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee yells once again.

"Oh... It's his sensei." Sasuke said.

"What did I tell you, Lee? Now it is time for your punishment." Gai said as sent a powerful punch to Lee's jaw causing him to fly into the wall.

"His own student!" Sakura yelled.

"This is getting a little annoying." Naruto said. Lee quickly shaked off the punch and jumped up. Gai looked over at him and Lee looked back. For a moment they just stared at each other.

"Are they going to fight now?" Sakura asked.

"Lee!" Gai yelled.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee yelled.

"Lee!" Gai yelled.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee yelled.

"Looks like the opposite..." I said in a disgusted tone. Suddenly they both ran toward each other and began to hug and cry.

"Now that's just weird..." Sasuke said.

"I agree." Both Naruto and Sakura said at the same time.

"So you guys are Kakashi's team?" Gai asked as he let Lee go.

"Yeah...and we have to go now." Sasuke said. Team seven began to dash up the stairs into the right classroom. Lee was right behind him after he realized he would be late as well.

**III**

_**It was hard to believe anyone could be that fast, but he did not have a clue what I actually could do. I was greatly looking forward to my rematch with him on a serious level.**_

When we entered the room, Lee quickly joined his team as we walked in. I took a quick glance around the room to see who was all here. The room was packed to the brim with genin glaring at us and each other. I finally found who I was looking for when my eyes met up with Yugito-chan's. I walked over towards her and sat down. I still needed to rest a little from the spar with Lee.

Suddenly the rest of the 'rookie nine' of Konoha appeared before us.

**I later learned that we were the only village to have rookies enter the chuunin exam.**

"Look what we have here... Isn't it team Sasuke since he's the only talent they have." The dog genin of team eight by the name of Kiba said. That instantly pissed me off.

"Need to watch your mouth, mutt. I didn't here of any A-Rank missions you guys went on." I said as I walked toward him.

"N-N-Naruto-kun..." I heard Hinata say. Another member of team eight.

"A-Rank mission?! Ha! Don't make me laugh, baka." Kiba said. I didn't notice that Yugito-chan had followed me down to the floor until she grabbed my arm as she tried calm me down.

"Actually, Kiba, it is very true." Shino said. The final member of team eight and possibly the strongest.

"Nani?!" Kiba yelled.

Suddenly a different blonde kunoichi wearing purple by the name of Ino from team ten came flying in.

"Sasuke-kun! How have I miss..." She was interrupted by Sakura-chan grabbing her by her long pony-tail and slinging her to the floor hard.

"Hey!" Ino yelled.

"Learn to mind your manners, Ino-pig!" Sakura-chan yelled. She really had gotten stronger.. Before she could say anything in return Shikamaru chimed in with his usual catch phrase.

"This is so troublesome..." Shikamaru said as he leaned against the wall. Choji was right beside him eating his usual bag of potato chips. He was always eating. Both of them finished up team ten.

"W-W-Who is t-t-this, N-Naruto-kun?" She asked me as she pointed to Yugito-chan. Yugito-chan looked at me awaiting my answer too.

"Someone very special to me, my girlfriend..." I said.

"NANI!!!" Everyone of the 'Rookie Nine', excluding those from team seven who already sort of knew, yelled. Yugito-chan's face instantly shifted to a bright red complexion in which I thought was cute.

"You guys are definitely too relaxed to be rookies." A gray haired genin with glasses said as he walked up to us.

"Yeah.. And who are you?" Kiba demanded.

"Excuse my manners. I am Yakushi Kabuto. You guys are causing quite a racket. If you ever want to retake this exam alive again, it might be wise to be quiet." Kabuto said. We all glanced around to see all the other genin were staring us down with their collective killer intent now aimed at us.

"And how are you so sure you are not in danger as well?" I asked.

"I know these exams like the back of my hands. I have failed it six times now." Kabuto said.

"Six times!" Some of us yelled. I walked over to Sasuke.

"I don't trust this guy." I whispered to Sasuke.

"Same here..." Sasuke whispered back.

"Thanks to that, I developed a nice a little jutsu where I can read the stats and abilities of the others on cards." He pulled out a stack of brown cards. "Is their anybody specific you want to learn about?"

"Sabuka no Gaara." I spoke up deciding to give him a test since he was willing to give us some important information.

"Ahh, Sabuka no Gaara. Not much information is on him but he has been on a couple of B-rank missions and a lot of C-rank as well. Youngest of the Sabuka siblings, the offspring of the Yondaime Kazekage." He said.

"Her." Hinata said as she pointed at Yugito-chan. This was the first time I heard such hatred come from her soft voice. For a second, the two glared at each other as their killer intent began to do battle with one another. Before Kabuto could shuffle his cards, Yugito-chan grabbed his wrist.

"No..." She said in a stern voice. As she glared at him.

"Uh... What just happened?" I asked oblivious of what just went down between them.

"Baka..." Sasuke muttered. Kiba walked up to me and whisper in my ear.

"She is scary..." He said.

"Everybody! Take a seat at the number you have been assigned to that was on your entrance sheet! We are about begin the first exam!." The tokubetsu jonin examiner of the first exam, Ibiki, yelled.

It seemed I was in row three, seat five. Hinata sat right next to me and glance toward the back of the classroom. I followed her eyes and saw that she was smiling up at Yugito-chan, who was shooting flamed daggers from hell back at her with her eyes.

"I will be your examiner for your first exam, which is a ten question test. The rules are simple so I will say them once. Rule Number One: For each question you answer correctly, counts for you and your team. So if as a team you fail, you will fail this exam. Rule Number Two: If you are caught cheating, you will be deducted three points which means if you are caught three times you are done which means your team fails as well. I have trained chuunin watching everyone of you to catch who cheats or not. Rule Number Three will be given out once we reach the tenth question. You have forty-five minutes to complete the first nine questions. Now begin!"

**IV**

Everyone quickly turned over the test and nearly panicked. These questions were nearly impossible answer even for the likes of Sakura. Naruto slammed his head against his desk out of frustration. It just had to be a test.

Tenten, the kunoichi third member of team Gai, which consisted of Neji and Lee, began her secret plan. She quickly shot two tiny kunai with a mirror up at the lights on the ceiling and began to angle it to see other's answers. She also angled it so Lee could see as well. Neji used his kekkei genkai 'Byakugan' that forced chakra into his eyes, allowing him to see almost a 360 degree field of vision to see everyone's answers.

**'This exam is meant for you to cheat, kit. It's testing your scouting abilities.'** Kyuubi said.

_'I know that, but that's something I'm lacking right now.'_ Naruto replied.

**'Hmm... You're screwed!'** Kyuubi yelled as she laughed at him.

_'Thanks for the advise, baka kitsune..'_ Naruto replied. _'I am just going to wait for the tenth question and nail it. Sasuke and Sakura both are smart enough to at least get seven to eight each meaning if I get the last one right we still pass. Perfect!'_

Naruto turned his test over and placed his head down.

_'Is that dobe done already?!'_ Sasuke asked himself.

_'Wow...Naruto really has changed a lot. We definitely have the strongest team here even if we are just rookies.'_ Sakura said to herself.

A lot of the other genin were being called out for cheating and being escorted out of the room. Before anyone knew it, the forty-five minutes had passed.

"Now it's time for the tenth question and third rule. First before we get to the tenth question I will explain the third rule to you. Rule Number Three: If you decide to answer this question and miss it, not only will you fail this test but also never be allowed to take this test again. You will be forced to either remain a genin all your life or give up your life as a shinobi. But if you give up now, you will only fail. Your team will fail along with you."

"NANI!!!" The entire room nearly exploded.

"How is that possible if there are people here who have taken the test multiple times!?" One of the genin yelled.

"Simple. This is my first year in charge of the exams." Ibiki said with a sinister grin on his face.

Suddenly, the genin began to give up left and right. Naruto began to contemplate his next move. Did he truly trust his intelligence enough to risk it all on this question? But he couldn't let his team down either. They had already been through hell together so they could get through this as well no matter the outcome. That was when his decision was made and he was going to let his team know it as well.

Naruto stood up and glared at Ibiki.

"Do you give up?" Ibiki asked.

"Hell no! This question means nothing to us! Regardless of the outcome I will achieve my goals even if I'm stuck being genin! I refuse to let an exam rule my future!" Naruto yelled as he slammed his fist down on his desk. "Bring on this question!" He continued. Naruto's emotional speech had increased the confidence all around him. The genin who were going to give up, instead strengthened their resolves.

_'That dobe...'_ Sasuke said as Naruto had managed to even erase the doubt that was in his head as well.

Ibiki sighed to himself as he looked around.

"Are there any more who wish to quit?" He waited for a minute until smiling. "You all pass."

"NANI!!?" Everyone left said.

"What about the last question?!" One of the genin asked. Ibiki smirked.

"This exam was designed to test your skills of scouting and gathering information. Notice that I did not say 'Do not cheat'. Instead I said if you are caught cheating you will lose points. The point of the last rule was to test your ability to make decisions that not only effect you, but your team as well on the fly. A chuunin job is lead their team in and out of danger and a simple misjudgment of the situation could mean death for everyone. Remember that." Ibiki said.

Suddenly two giant poles shot through the window as a kunoichi burst through the window after them. Ibiki easily dodged the poles but wore an annoyed look on his face as the purple hair kunoichi stood straight up as the two poles released a banner that said 'The Second Exam Instructor Tokubetsu Jonin Mitarashi Anko'.

Ibiki walked up to Anko.

"Know the mood..." Ibiki said in an annoyed tone.

"Twenty-seven teams left? You've grown soft, Ibiki..." Anko replied.

"I hope you enjoyed this exam because the next one will not be as easy! I promise you that after my exam it will only be ten of you left!" Anko yelled.

**V**

The Hokage entered his office and sat down at his desk. He still needed to work on some paper work before he could attend to the matters of the chuunin exams. He pulled out his pipe and began to take a puff as he noticed someone else was in his office.

"Who are you and why have you snuck into my office?" He asked with a very stern voice. Suddenly a kunoichi walked out of the shadows with bright blue eyes glaring at him.

"You... I thought you had died..." He said.

"I am only here to let you know out of respect that I have returned to take him back to where he belongs. Naruto will come with me whether you like it or not, old man." The kunoichi said. With that she was gone just as quickly as she appeared. The Saindame sighed to himself.

"Now things are going to get really complicated..."

_**If you would have asked me if the chuunin exam would be one of the largest turning points in my life, I probably would have just laughed at the question and said that it was going to be my next step at becoming the Hokage. But as I stood in that forest, the roller-coaster called my life hit its biggest and most dangerous loop.  
**_------------------------------------------------------------  
**Translation:  
Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu**: Wind Release: Wind Vortex Cloak (Direct Translation) The next level of Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu. User creates a dome of chakra and wind that surround them. What enters it gets ripped at by the vortex of wind that is constantly moving within the dome.

**Tokubetsu**: Special


	10. Chapter 10: The Trials and Tribulations

**Author's Notes: First off I would like to apologies for how long it took to get this update. The holidays combined with my phone acting up (I do all my writing on my Tilt/PPC) caused me to sway from finishing this chapter. So I decided to just combined ten and eleven into one in hopes of making it up lol. And all updates after this one will be back to their normal three to five day cycle.**

**Another thing I would like to add is thanks to all of you who have reviewed the story thus far and have given me some excellent advice. I am now currently looking for a beta reader since my grammar is far from the best as you all know lol. So if any of you are interested give me a shout. Thanks in advance! Also would like to thank Rahhel for the advice. Hopefully that helps me out a little.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Ten: The Trials and Tribulations of the Mind and Body

I remember the feelings that were dancing in my stomach as if it were yesterday. The vibe that the forest was giving almost felt like it actually was a living thing that craved blood and carnage. But all that did not matter to me then as I tried to push those feelings away to make sure I could focus on the task at hand...

I began to size up our competition as we waited for Anko to announce the rules to us. There were shinobi of all sizes and ages, it seemed. I managed to find Yugito-chan's team a couple yards down. She wore the same stoic expression as usual while her male teammate glared at me. I waved at him just to piss him off a little bit more.

"Alright, gaki! It's time for me to announce the rules to you, so listen up!" Everybody stopped talking as all eyes moved directly to her. "Good! Each team will start at their own gate and will be handed one special scroll before going into the forest! There are only two types of scrolls being handed out, the heaven scroll and the earth scroll! Your mission will be to take the scroll of another team, that is the opposite of yours, and make it all the way to the tower in the center of the forest! You will only have three days to do this! You are allowed to kill to complete the mission as well, so no holding back!" The last thing she said caused her to laugh out loud, which sent chills up my spine. "There is only one real rule besides making it to the tower in three days, and that is not to open the scrolls until you make it to the tower!"

_'Simple rules then. Take out all the bastard that come after us...'_ I said to myself as I mentally prepared myself.

**'Just stay on your toes, kit. I'm getting a bad feeling about that forest. Something major is going to go down for sure...'** Kyuubi said.

_'Yeah.. I'm sort of getting the same feeling too. But I'll just handle whatever they throw at me.'_ I said as I tried to calm myself down.

We stood in front of gate sixteen with two chuunin on guard. We were all awaiting the signal to begin the exam. Sasuke had his normal expression while Sakura-chan wore a expression of pure determination. I knew my team was a strong one and had little doubt that we could handle anything that forest had waiting for us.

"Hope you lil' genin don't die in there." The chuunin on the left said as the other laughed.

"Unlike you bastards, we're going to pass our 'first' time." I said with a large grin on my face.

"How about you just die here?" The chuunin who had taunted us earlier said. Before I could reply a whistle was heard signaling the start of exam.

"Too bad we can't continue this, huh? But we can have a proper match after this when I'm a chuunin." I said as we dashed into the forest. I didn't get a chance to see the expression on the chuunin's face but I didn't really care in the first place.

We ran for several yards before leaping into the trees and continuing the rest of the run there. After a couple miles, Sasuke signalled for us to stop as he landed on the ground.

"Alright, this is the plan. We will wait here till night fall before making any more moves. We can do more in the dark. Naruto, I need you to use your clones as scouts and have them search for other teams in the area and let us know how close they are to us. And don't have them get caught, dobe." He said as he glared at me.

"Heh... Easy. You don't have to worry about that, teme, since I always have a clone trail us whenever we are together and you two have yet to figure that out. Kakashi-sensei was the only one who did." I said.

"Serious?" Sakura-chan asked. I nodded as I did a few seals with my right hand creating around twenty clones. Sasuke just glared in the other direction as if he didn't care. I sent all my clones I had just summoned off in almost every angle.

"Now it's time for my part of the plan, teme." I said as I grinned.

"Huh?" Sasuke said as he turned around to look at me.

"Stand still, you two." I said as I studied them. I quickly went through a few handseals as I summoned two more clones, but this time they looked just Sasuke and Sakura-chan. "Before we make any moves we send these guys first." I said as the Sasuke clone mimicked the original and Sakura-chan's clone waved at them. I then cancelled the jutsu and they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Not bad dobe..." Sasuke forced out.

Night came quickly as we held our position. Deciding to see how my clones were doing, I closed my eyes to try to tune my chakra signature with my clones so I could keep tabs on them. It was a little harder to focus on them when they were so far away from me. I leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree as Sasuke scouted the area around us.

"Why are you sleeping, Naruto?" Sakura-chan asked me.

"I'm not sleeping, I'm concentrating. It gets harder to control my clones the way I want when they are so far away, so it requires a lot of focus." I replied with my eyes still close.

"When did you change, Naruto? I remember when you could only stay focus on ramen and me." She said as she laughed a little. "Now you act mature and more like a real shinobi. How did you do it?" She asked. I opened my eyes and looked directly at her.

"I have a lot people to prove wrong and I used that as my fuel to keep going. I also have a lot of people that I need to protect, and I refused to let them down because I wasn't strong enough." I said as I closed my eyes again.

Suddenly Sasuke leaped back down on the ground and sprinted back over to us.

"Any sign of other teams, Naruto?" He asked. With my eyes closed I nodded.

"Closest team is around a two hundred yards to the west of us." I said as I pointed in that direction.

"Good, now the fun begins." Sasuke said as he leaped into the trees in that direction. We quickly followed after him.

**II**

Team Aoi of Kumogakure had just decided to set up camp for the night. Ty had taken the role of leader and had been bossing Lei and Yugito around all day.

"When did Aoi-chan ever announce that you were team leader?" Lei asked as he had finally had enough of Ty acting like a tyrant.

"She didn't have too. You guys are nowhere near fit to run this team, so I made sure we would have the best chance to succeed with me in charge." Ty said as she set up a couple traps around the perimeter.

They were yet to see any of the other teams, but it was one team in particular they were hoping to encounter. And that was team seven of Konohagakure.

"I think we should hunt down does assholes from Konoha that we fought on the bridge and kill them. I got a debt repay to that blonde bastard." Lei said as he tighten his fist.

Yugito didn't even flinch as Lei mentioned her boyfriend. She already knew he could take care of himself and even though Lei had gotten stronger, she knew he did too. She could feel it when she was with him.

"Don't be stupid, Lei. See, this is another reason I'm in charge. I hate those posers as much as you do, but there twenty-five other teams in this forest that would ambush us while we go on our one team hunt. We'll take care of them after this exam." Ty said as she walked back toward them.

Suddenly a smoke bomb was set off in between them. Team Aoi was forced to scramble so they wouldn't be caught off guard.

_'Damnit! Did not expect to get attacked so early!'_ Ty yelled mentally as she tried to find the source of the bomb. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on her right side. She looked over to see several sharp needles made of rock stuck in her side as blood dripped off them. And at the end of them was the last thing she needed, explosive tags. She quickly ripped out the needles despite the pain it caused and threw them before they exploded. The after shock of the explosion caused her to crash down to the ground.

Lei on the other hand, was having an easier time. He had caught his attacker as soon as he exited the smoke and sent a massive blow to his jaw using his chakra gauntlets. The direct blow literally shattered the shinobi's jaw as blood splattered every where.

_'That blonde asshole is next...'_ Lei said mentally.

Yugito was already a couple yards out of the area when she heard the explosion from Ty's battle.

"Where do you think you're going?" A heavy set voice asked as she dashed passed him. She turned her head in that direction to meet a hard foot to the face that sent her flying a couple of feet in the air before her cat-like reflexes kicked in and she did a back-flip and landed on her feet.

"Oh... We have a talented one here." The shinobi said. Yugito shook off the effects of the blow and glared at the man. By looking at the symbol on his forehead protector, she could tell he was a rock nin. A cocky one at that, with the way he looked down on her like that. "I think I should have fun with you before killing you. A kunoichi with your beauty should never be wasted." He said as he licked his lips.

Not wanting to alarm other teams that could have been close to them she decided not to release her killer intent to scare him off. She was just going to have to fight him even though her main objective was to protect her team-mates.

She pulled out two kunai and launched them at the rock nin. He easily deflected them with his own, but she was gone before he noticed it. She quickly appeared to the left of him and returned the kick he had sent her earlier by sending him one with her left leg. But the attack for some reason had more effect on her than him. The momentum from the attack did cause him to fall from his branch and land on the ground. As he landed on the ground it created a loud thud as the ground around him gave in to his weight...

Yugito's leg felt like it could have been fracture or broken as she landed on her right leg.

"Figure it out already. sweetheart?" The shinobi laughed as he stood up and dusted himself off. "My jutsu allows me to be completely shielded by rock. Your physical attacks will not have any effect on me. Better yet, it will do more damage to you when you attack me." He looked at her left leg as it was now drenched with blood and laugh some more. "And now that your leg is injured you won't be able to use those God-like reflexes of yours any more." He said as he could no longer contain his laughter.

"Nenshou Ookawa!" Yugito yelled as she slammed her fist into the ground sending waves of molten lava toward the rock nin. But despite how he looked, he was quite nimble himself as he leaped back into the trees.

"I hope that isn't all you have. Otherwise I will be forced to end things quicker than I like. But I suppose that could be a good thing too." He said as a perverted smile slid across his face. He stood up on the branch as the lava continued to flow down below him. What he failed to realize was the fact that the lava was starting to burn away at the tree he was in as he focused on his prey.

"Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu!" Yugito yelled as the lava that was on the ground began to flow upward in a spiral and toward the rock nin. He easily dodged the attack but failed to notice that the first wave was not the end of the attack. He was forced in a bad position where he either was going to have to take on her new attack head on or take his chances with the lava down below.

Suddenly the tree began to give way as the lava continued to burn at it's roots and slowly travel up the tree. Yugito's jutsu was about to come around for its second attack. With the tree falling apart and her jutsu making it nearly impossible to leap to another, he made the choice of trying to leap beyond the fire. Unfortunately for him, Yugito's jutsu grazed him as he jumped causing him to fall directly into the lava trap Yugito had set.

Feeling like the battle was over, she leaned against the tree she was using as a brace and checked on her leg. Luckily for her it wasn't broken, only bruised. She pushed herself up and started to head for the last place she remembered Ty and Lei were, at the last minute she felt a spike of chakra from behind. She turned around to the sight of a large boulder flying at her. With her injured leg there was no way she would be able to dodge his attacked.

"Kazekatana!" Naruto yelled as he leaped in front of her and slashed through the boulder.

"You all right?" He asked. Yugito's usual blank expression was replaced with one of excitement as she realized who it was that had come to her rescue. She looked up at him and nodded as he smiled. "Don't worry, I'll take care of the rest." Naruto said.

Another flurry of boulders came flying there way as Naruto easily sliced through them with his Kazekatana as he made his way to the source.

"Who is this? Another shinobi for me to play with?" The rock nin said as he saw Naruto. He somehow had used the replacement jutsu to escape his faith.

"You can play all you want in hell..." Naruto said as his facial expression shifted to the cold one he used when he was in a fight to the death. As the rock nin prepared to attack Naruto a second Naruto came from behind him and sliced directly through him, killing him instantly.

"Bet you didn't see that one coming, huh?" Naruto said as he looked down at his body.

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun... But why did you help me? We're supposed to be enemies here." Yugito asked. Naruto just smiled as he picked her up and began to carry her bridal style. The second Naruto dashed off to continue his scouting job.

"I decide who my enemies are, and you hime-chan, are the opposite." Naruto said as Yugito blushed. He enjoyed the fact he was the only one who could get a reaction from her face. "I am going to take you to where I last saw your team-mates." Naruto said as he leaped into the trees and began to dash from branch to branch. Ty and Lei were not to far off from them as Lei had managed to make it in time to help Ty out.

"So where's that damn weapon!" Ty shouted as Lei helped her up. Suddenly, Naruto leaped down between them, startling both of them.

"You!" Lei yelled as he charged up to Naruto ready to kill him. Naruto quickly sat Yugito down and dodged Lei's first swing.

"We're going to finish what we started in Wave here and now!" Lei yelled but Yugito quickly jumped in front of him.

"Not now..." Yugito forced out as she glared at him. Lei looked over at Ty who shrugged.

"You heard her... Leave her lil' boy toy alone for now and we'll take care of him later. He did apparently help us out." Ty said as she turned her back.

"Argh... I swear I will kill you the next time we face each other." Lei said as he turned his back as well.

"We'll see about that... What was your name again?" Naruto asked.

"LEI!!" Lei yelled.

Naruto ignored him and hugged Yugito from behind and whispered in her ear.

"Ja ne." He suddenly disappeared in a puff of a smoke after running through a couple of hand seals.

"I hate it when he does that! I'm tired of shadow clones... And why did you let him go Ty? He knows where we are so he and his team can ambush us at any time." Lei complained.

"Why would he do that when his precious 'Yugito-chan' is on our team? If anything, it feels more like you have a fourth member helping us." Ty said as she sat down on the ground. Suddenly something came to her.

"Did you get the scroll from the rock nin your fought with?" She asked Lei.

"He didn't have it so I was sure one of you guys would grab it from the other two." Lei replied. They both stared at each other for awhile before it dawned on them.

"THAT BASTARD!" They both yelled out loud as Yugito chuckled.

**III**

It had been several hours after we started moving but we were yet to run into anyone. The team we were tailing had been killed by another team, and said team had left. My clone held his position so he wouldn't get caught. Suddenly one of my other clones leaped in front of us.

"What's going on, Naruto?" Sakura-chan asked. The clone reached into his coat and handed me the earth scroll then leaped back into the trees as he continued the mission I had assigned him and the others.

"We no longer have to search for the second scroll. I did all the work" I said with a large smile on my face.

"NANI!?" Both Sakura-chan and Sasuke yelled.

"How did you take out a team by yourself? You're not that strong..." Sakura-chan asked.

"My clone just ambushed the one holding the scroll while they were busy ambushing another team." I said as if it was nothing. I left out the details where I myself trailed Yugito-chan's team while I left a clone to stay with them. I quickly did a few handseals to replace the clone that had took my place in team seven with the real me. Sasuke gave me a slight look like he knew what I did.

"And the shinobi who held the scroll?" Sasuke asked with the same look on his face.

"Dead." I said with a grim look on my face.

"Good. No trace." Sasuke said.

"Yosh! Now all we need to do is make it the tower and this exam will be a breeze!" Sakura-chan cheered.

Suddenly, the clone I had just switched places with was taken out by a giant snake.

"Snake..." I said as I quickly scanned the area.

"Snake?" Sakura-chan asked.

"Move!" I yelled as a giant snake burst through several trees as it lunged at us. I quickly leaped to the trees but for some reason it decided to follow me.

"Fuck!" I yelled as I began to dash full speed from branch to branch, but it all was pointless, as the snake looked like it was only getting closer. I threw a couple of my kunai in hope of slowing it down, but it only pissed it off even more as it speeded up. I quickly changed directions hoping to take advantage of its momentum, but it turned as quickly as I did.

"This is starting to get really annoying!" I yelled out of frustration as the snake got even closer. I saw a clearing several yards away and made my mind up about my next move. There was no way I could outrun this thing forever.

**'I've got a plan, kit, just listen to me and we will get out of this one alive.'** Kyuubi said as I leaped down into the clearing.

**IV**

"You ok?" Sasuke asked Sakura as they both stood up.

"Yeah, but what about Naruto? We should help him." Sakura said.

"That baka will be ok. We've got our own problems to take care of first." Sasuke replied as he looked directly ahead of him.

"What do you mean...?" Sakura asked before following his eyes to see a tall and pale grass nin staring them down with a killer intent so great that it made it hard to breathe.

"There you are..." The grass nin said as the words slithered off his tongue like a snake.

"You were the one that sent that snake?!" Sakura yelled as she entered a fighting stance.

"Let me handle this Sakura." Sasuke said as he stood in front of her.

_'There he goes again trying to protect me... But that was the old me.'_ Sakura said to herself.

"No, Sasuke-kun. It's my time to show you and Naruto that I can take care of myself." Sakura said.

"Now is not the time for this, Sakura!" Sasuke yelled, but Sakura just ignored him as she pulled her headband over her eyes.

"Oh? Does the cute kunoichi want to be the first to dance?" The grass nin asked as he licked his tongue out similar to that of a snake.

"Dance? How did you know?" Sakura said in a teasing tone.

_'What is she doing? There is no way she can fight this guy without even seeing him.'_ Sasuke mentally said.

Sakura began to dance in an awkward rhythm as she got closer to the grass nin. He started off by throwing a punch at her but her unusual movements allowed her to dodge the attack. She grabbed his arm and slung him to the ground head first.

"How...?" Sasuke asked in bewilderment.

The grass nin was quickly back on his feet but was met with another surprising blow to his stomach. It was very hard to read her movements and counter as she landed another punch to his face. Her punches also packed a punch as she focused her chakra into her hands and feet. To say the grass nin was caught off guard by her style of fighting was an understatement.

"Ok.. Now I'm getting aggravated." He said as he literally slithered up a nearby tree. Sakura quickly chased after him, but what she didn't realize was she was walking right into his trap. The strange grass nin henge-d into a giant snake almost identical to the previous one and struck at Sakura. If it wasn't for Sasuke grabbing her at the very last minute she would have been swallowed whole.

"What the hell is he?" Sakura asked as she raised her forehead protector back to its normal position. She glanced up at Sasuke to see his red Sharingan eyes glaring dangerously at the snake.

"We're both going have to work together to beat this guy, and hopefully that dobe can make it back in time to help too." Sasuke said.

The gigantic snake swept in for a second attack as Sasuke and Sakura tried to dodge it, but at the last minute they caught a glimpse of the grass nin staring directly at them. For some odd reason, they became paralysed.

_'What the hell is going on?!'_ Sasuke yelled to himself as he tried to force his body free.

Sakura was also having a hard time trying to grasp the situation. She could have sworn she saw him transform into the snake yet there he was staring them down with that sinister grin of his catching them in some kind of paralysing jutsu. If they didn't do something quick, they would become snake food.

Suddenly, Sasuke did the last thing he wanted to do, but it was the only thing he could do to save him and Sakura. He forced his hand to pull out a kunai and stabbed it into his thigh, dispelling the jutsu by using pain. He quickly grabbed Sakura and dashed off just before the snake pounced on them.

Before Sakura could realize what happened, she was in Sasuke's arms as he leaped from branch to branch. She glanced down at his leg and noticed he was bleeding badly.

"Sasuke-kun...? You're..."

"I'll be ok." Sasuke interrupted.

He chose a large tree to place her down on while they tried to figure out their next move.

"Where are Naruto's clones?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto probably has his hands filled so he needs all of his chakra and concentration to stay alive." Sasuke said as he ripped a piece of his shirt and tired it around his left thigh in hopes to stop the bleeding. But he knew that would be easier said then done since his heart was beating so fast. For the second time in his life he was actually terrified. This guy was on a whole different level than them.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled as Sasuke snapped back to reality just in time to dodge the snake's attack. It was quickly becoming a game of cat and mouse between them. All Sasuke and Sakura could do was run and hopefully postpone until they figured out something.

The grass nin appeared right in front of them with the same eerie grin on his face as he launched several shuriken, which landed in Sasuke's shoulders and legs.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled as she threw a few of her own shuriken at the grass nin, but he just slithered away before they hit him. She quickly ran to Sasuke to check out his wounds. Nothing too deadly but what scared her the most, was the fact that he was shaking, trembling with fear. His powerful eyes no longer flared with the fiery red color of his Sharingan but only the normal onyx shade. That was when she realized they truly were in trouble.

**V**

_'This plan better work, baka kitsune!'_ Naruto yelled to his tenant.

**'Don't worry about that, baka! Just do everything I say with no questions asked.'** Kyuubi replied.

Suddenly a clone of Naruto appeared with a giant scroll in his hand. The clone then transformed into the human form of Kyuubi.

"Cut your thumb and sign your name on the open slot of the scroll." Kyuubi said as she opened the scroll. Not understanding why, but not wanting to argue, he decided to just go with it.

"Good. Now spread the blood across the other four finger tips and focus all your chakra to them." Kyuubi continued. Naruto nodded and did as he was told. They could hear the snake getting closer and closer. It burst into the opening with two front teeth exposed ready to swallow its prey in whole.

"Now slam you hand on the spot of the scroll that is below your signature and yell 'Kuchiyose no Jutsu'." Kyuubi said as she watched the snake get closer. Naruto nodded again and did so as the snake was now only feet away.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as he slammed his hand down on the scroll. The seals on his arms that Kyuubi had placed began to burn a little as they caused his sleeves to blaze up in flames. A giant seal appeared on the ground as a giant fox appeared from it and caught the snake right before it had the chance to attack them.

Naruto fell down and began to stare in amazement as his newly summoned fox was now locked in a deadly battle with the snake. The Kyuubi clone disappeared in a puff of smoke as she returned to Naruto's subconscious. The seals on his arms still burned but not enough for him to be worried about it, since he was too preoccupied with the battle in front of him.

The fox began to furiously swipe at the snake's head forcing it to back up. The fox then leaped into the air and began to take in a huge breath of air.

**'You might want to clear the area, kit. This next attack might be too much even for you to handle.'** Kyuubi said. He quickly forced himself off the ground and quickly leaped to the tree tops, not wanting to miss what was going to happen next.

The giant fox released a massive amount of fire upon the snake, burning it to a crisp and scorching the land around it. As the fox landed on the ground, it sunk into the seal it was originally summoned from. That was also when Naruto's arms stopped burning, and also when he realized that his sleeves had been burnt off.

_'Since when could I do that?'_ Naruto asked.

**'Since now...'** Kyuubi replied.

_'Cool...'_ Naruto said as he collapsed to the ground out of exhaustion. He began to look at his arms and noticed that the seals were glowing now. '_Why did my arms stop burning when I used that jutsu?'_ Naruto asked. He heard Kyuubi sigh.

**'That is because you used my chakra instead of the chakra I gave you.'** Kyuubi said.

_'Huh? I don't get it.'_ Naruto said as he continued to look over his arms.

**'Oh yeah… I forgot I have to break things down for the baka... Instead of using your own chakra, which has both your chakra and the new chakra I gave to you, you used only my chakra.'** Kyuubi said in a very slow pace as if she was talking to a baby.

_'But you told me that my body would not be able to handle your chakra without those painful ass rituals.'_ Naruto said as he stood back up and dusted himself off.

**'I don't have any clear answers either kit. Lets just be happy that it worked ok?'** Kyuubi said as Naruto began to sprint in the direction he had came from. It was an easy task since the snake left a huge trail of destruction during the chase.

_'Yeah, yeah. That does not mean I am going to forget about it, though. But now I have to make sure Sasuke and Sakura-chan are alright.'_ Naruto said as he leaped into the trees.

**VI**

Sakura could not believe what was happening. It was all moving too fast for her to comprehend. In the past she always had Sasuke or Naruto to take charge when things were in a pinch. She always had them to rely on so there was no true reason for her to have fear. But now, it was a completely different matter. Sasuke, the number one rookie, was having a nervous breakdown and Naruto, the dead-last drop-out, now possibly the strongest of the rookie nine, could be dead for all she knew. She was so used to being a follower, but now it was her time to lead.

"Sasuke-kun. Everything is going to be ok.." Before she could finish the sentence the gigantic snake lunged at them from the side. She quickly grabbed Sasuke and leaped to the next tree. But before she could do anything Sasuke had snapped out of his trance and pushed her down as several shuriken flew directly over her head. She quickly glanced up at Sasuke and saw that his Sharingan eyes were blazing again.

"I am going to give him the scroll. There is no way we can beat that monster." Sasuke said as he glared down at her. Sakura could not believe what she was hearing. Was this the real Sasuke that was talking to her or was it just one of Naruto's clones? She was praying for the latter because it would mean Naruto was alive and he and the real Sasuke had a plan. But then she remember the promise she made to herself. The promise that she would no longer rely on her teammates to save the day all the time like she did in the past.

She suddenly leaped down on the ground and pulled her forehead protector over her eyes again as she entered her awkward fighting stance.

"That same trick work once, but not again." The grass nin hissed. Sakura tilted her head to the side and smiled.

"Who said it was for you?" Sakura said as the snake went in with it's mouth wide open ready to swallow her whole. Sakura easily dodged the snake's attack and also caught it in her trap as well.

_'What is she doing?'_ Sasuke asked himself as he watched her take on the snake. That was when his eyes caught on to what she was doing and one of the secrets behind her new fighting style. With every movement her body was releasing a small amount of chakra. Very hard to pick up unless you were talented at sensing chakra or had a kekkei genkai that allowed you that gift. This chakra was working in a pattern similar to that of genjutsu.

Sakura's 'dance' was confusing the snake as it tried to continue its attack. The look on the grass nin's face was one of utter annoyance. Suddenly the snake turned on him for some reason. The snake was so blinded by Sakura's new jutsu that it began to attack allies and enemies forcing the grass nin to put a stop to it.

He held his head back and reached his hand into his mouth and regurgitated a katana. The sight was a very disgusting one to see for Sakura as she remained in her fighting stance and pulled up her forehead protector. The grass nin quickly leaped down and stabbed the Katana directly through the skull of the snake killing it instantly. instead of moving on to attack her; he did something else that just added to his creepiness. His body began mold with that of the snake's as the snake began to reawaken this time with a similar face to that of his master.

Sakura began to slowly back up as the snake began to grow in size to the point where it was now twice the size of its original self.

"Sakura! Get away from here!" Sasuke yelled at Sakura. He then glared over at the giant serpent. "You can take the damn scroll just as long as you let us live!" Sasuke yelled as he flung the scroll at the snake. Just as the snake was about to open its mouth to catch the scroll, Naruto leaped from out of nowhere and grabbed the scroll.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, teme!" Naruto yelled as he glared at Sasuke. Both the seals on Naruto's arms were still glowing.

"Naruto!" Sakura cheered as relief swept over her. Now that the team was complete again they stood a better chance of beating that creep.

"You don't know the situation, baka! See that big ass snake, there is no way we can beat that thing! It is better to surrender the scroll instead of our lives!." Sasuke yelled.

"Well, I'll just have to find out the hard way!" Naruto yelled as he shoved the scroll in his coat.

"I'm surprise you managed to kill one my pets.. I'm also interested in seeing how you did it." The grass nin hissed in his snake form.

"NANI?! This snake can talk?!" Naruto yelled as he temporarily returned to the old him. Both Sakura and Sasuke just gave him an annoyed look before the new Naruto returned with the same expression he held when he knew he needed to kill.

_'Think we can use the Kuchiyose no Jutsu again?'_ Naruto asked. Kyuubi shook her head.

**'Not safe kit. No telling what the effect were when you last used that jutsu. Your body is still burning up from it.'** Kyuubi said.

_'Damnit!'_ Naruto mentally yelled.

"Kazekatana!" Naruto yelled as he reached in his coat for two kunai and transformed them into his wind swords. He then quickly went through a few handseals with his right hand summoning several clones beside him.

"Naruto! Don't be stupid!" Sasuke yelled at Naruto again.

"How about you stop being a scaredy cat and help me out!" Naruto yelled back.

The look on the grass nin's mutated face was one of amusement. This was exactly what he wanted Sasuke to do. Sasuke was an avenger who had to survive to get stronger. And the stronger he'd become the more power he would obtain by using the boy.

Suddenly Naruto began his attack, as him and two of his clones leaped at the giant serpent and stabbed their katana in it. But the attacks proved to have no effect on it. The snake quickly swallowed two of them, but what the snake wasn't expecting was for them to have explosive tags on them as they exploded inside of the snake causing internal damage. The snake began to cough up blood as more Narutos appeared using their bodies as explosives, dealing heavy damage to the snake's body.

The wave of attacks caused the grass nin to separate his body from the snake's.

_'Maybe the dobe is right... Maybe we can beat him. If we try.'_ Sasuke said to himself as his confidence and will to fight returned him.

He quickly leaped in the direction of the grass nin's real body and launched several shuriken at him. The grass nin ducked the attack but was caught with a heavy uppercut from one of the Naruto's.

The skin on the grass nin's face began to peel, revealing an older looking male with even paler skin and snake like eyes. That was when the grass nin was done playing with the genin. When Sasuke went in for a close range attack, the grass nin easily backhanded him away. He then looked over at the Naruto as he flung his arms out in that direction with his palm open sending thousands of average sized snake at the clones filled with venom. The real Naruto appeared behind him and met with the same fate as Sasuke but only this time it was the back of the grass nin's heel that did the damage. Before Sasuke could land on the ground the grass nin shot his tongue out and wrapped it around his neck choking him. Sakura tried to run in to help her teammates but received a hard foot to the face. Sasuke began to glare at the grass nin as he tried to struggle to get free.

"Yes...Show me those eyes! You will be of great use to me in the future!" The grass nin hissed as he bit down on Sasuke neck leaving a black mark. He then slung Sasuke down on the ground. He looked at Naruto who was struggling to get back to his feet.

"And you...There is something strange about you.. Ah.. Now I recognize you.. You are the Kyuubi gaki... Guess I should kill you here so I will have less problems to deal with in the future." The grass nin said with a sinister grin on his face.

The grass nin opened his mouth and launched his tongue at Naruto, which transformed into a snake dripping venom. Naruto body was still weak from using Kyuubi's raw chakra and the fight he had just had with the grass nin; he would not be able to dodge the fatal attack.

A large claymore dropped down stabbing through the grass nin's snake tongue, causing him to swear in pain. Within instants, a kunoichi landed on top of the claymore, her long red hair extended to her calves. An all black ninja vest with a blue swirl emblem that matched the one Naruto wore on his back. She also wore navy blue ninja pants and black wooden sandals. She wore no forehead protector as she stared down at the grass nin.

"I see you still have a taste for the children, huh, Orochimaru?" The Kunoichi spat as her eyes scanned over team seven.

"And I thought you were dead, Kushina... Here to save your youkai of a son I assume." Orochimaru, formerly known as the grass nin, said.

"And its good to see that you are not as dumb as you are disgusting." Kushina said.

_'My mom...?'_ Naruto asked.

**'Interesting.'** Kyuubi said.

Kushina leaped down from her claymore and lifted it with ease as she pointed it at him.

"Sanin or not, you die here." Kushina said as she quickly dashed at him at a speed that he was not ready for. He was barely able to deflect it with his katana, but the force from the attack caused him to crash to the ground with a heavy thud. He quickly rose his head and began to stare at Kushina. His face was covered in such a dark and malicious smile that it caused Kushina to stop her attack.

"I can't say its good to see you alive again, but I have completed what I set out to do already." Orochimaru looked over at Sasuke. "The seal I placed on the Uchiha will cause him to seek me to become stronger. He..."

"You speak as if I care about him. I'm only here for my son. Now prepare yourself for death." Kushina interrupted as she swung her claymore right through his body, but it turned out that it was only his skin...

**VII**

"He shed his skin like a snake..." Sakura-chan said. She then ran over to Sasuke as everything hit her. The kunoichi who was claiming to be my mom walked over to me and quickly embraced me in such a tight huge that I could barely breathe.

"I missed you so much, my little Naru-chan." The kunoichi said as she began to shed tears. Everything was moving way too fast for me as I tried to grasp the situation at hand.

"Are you really my mom?" I forced out. The kunoichi released her hug and stared at me.

"Yes... I know it is hard to believe, but those bastards of Konoha have been lying to you about your past." The kunoichi said as her eyes pleaded with me to believe her.

**'I think you should believe her kit...'** Kyuubi said.

_'And why do you believe her?'_ I asked.

**'That is because I know when a human is lying. And she also has an aura similar to yours.'** Kyuubi replied. I mentally sighed as I stared into her eyes to see for myself if I could believe. What I saw was pain; similar to that of mines but from afar as if she was forced to watch everything that happened to me.

"Why are you showing yourself to me now?" I asked as I continued to stare into her eyes.

"That is because I was waiting for you to become mature enough to understand everything. But now is different my Naru-chan, you have grown a lot over the years." She said as tears continued to fall.

The more I listened to this woman, the more I believed her. I hugged her tightly fighting back with everything I had to not cry.

"So now what do we do?" I whispered to her as I closed my eyes tightly.

"We leave this village and never look back." She replied.

Her statement caught me off guard. I never really thought about leaving Konoha because of my goal. No matter how the villagers treated me, I never considered leaving the village. But things had changed greatly. I quickly considered the consequences of abandoning the village and my goal. But I also considered the fact that Konoha never offered me a legit reason to stay if I was given an offer to leave. An offer that was worth thinking over and not just a threat. I really wanted to leave but there were still things I needed to do.

"Gomen... I can't. Not yet." I said as I opened my eyes and looked at her. "I may leave someday soon if things don't change. But I have set a goal for me to achieve and I wish to at least try to complete it before making my decision. Why don't you stay with me instead? You don't have to leave nor do you have to rejoin Konoha." I said. She wiped her eyes an smiled.

"You're just like your father... But you got your stubbornness from me." She said as she placed her index finger on my nose. "Which also means I won't accept no for an answer. But I will wait out till you make your decision for yourself. It's what your father would have done so this is for him." She said.

"Who was my father?" I asked.

"The greatest ninja of this time. The Konoha former Yondaime, Namikaze Minato."

"Nani!?" Sakura-chan and Kyuubi yelled at the same time.

"Sakura-chan? You were listening?" I asked as I looked over at her.

"Gomen...I caught bit and pieces of the conversation." She bowed.

My 'mother' suddenly stood up and walked over to her claymore and lifted it. Sakura-chan's face shifted to one filled with fear until she pulled out a scroll and opened it and pressed her hand against it, causing the claymore to be sucked into it. Sakura-chan released a sigh of relief.

"Who is Orochimaru?" Sakura-chan asked her.

"He is one of the legendary sanin of Konoha who later betrayed his village to seek more power. I don't understand why he is here but that does not matter to me as long as he doesn't touch my Naru-chan." She said as she smiled at me.

"What did he do to Sasuke-kun?" Sakura-chan asked her as she turned her back.

"I thought I made it clear that I am not the one to ask." She replied with an annoyed tone in her voice.

"Wait...mom.. Where are you going?" I asked. The word mom had such a strange feeling to it when it came out of my mouth. She turned back around and smiled again.

"Don't worry. I am not leaving you like before. I am just going to let you choose when you want to come home." She said as she shushined away in a swirl of wind. I released a sigh as I collapsed to the ground.

"I didn't want to ask this while your mom was here, what exactly are you Naruto? I head Orochimaru mention something about Kyuubi gaki. What did he mean by that?" Sakura-chan asked. I stood up and turned my back to her and lowered my head as I began to leave the area.

"The Kyuubi that attacked Konoha over twelve years ago, was sealed in me after my birth by a jutsu that the Yondaime, my father, used to save the village, at the cost of his own life." I said. Judging from her silence I knew it was a lot to swallow for her. But it was nothing compared to what I was dealing with. I continued walking off to a stream I saw during my sprint from that damn snake.

**VIII**

_'He has the Kyuubi sealed within him!'_ Sakura said to herself as she crawled back over to Sasuke to check on his status. At first she thought about attacking him out anger. She lost her father thanks to the Kyuubi. But then she realized that it was not Naruto's fault that the Kyuubi was sealed within him and she began to berate herself for even thinking such thoughts; not to mention his crazy mother could still be watching. It became hard for her to believe that even though the villagers hated him because of the burden he was forced to carry he still wanted to be their Hokage. She would have given up a very long time ago if she were in his shoes. Her admiration for his strength grew larger than ever before, even more so than Sasuke's.

Suddenly she heard something crack in the distance. She quickly moved her head to the direction of the sound.

"Is that you Naruto?!" She asked. Silence soon followed after. "Kushina-san?" She asked again hoping it was either one of them, more so the former than the latter. Yet again silence but the vibe she was getting was far from nothing.

She lowered her forehead protector and entered her stance. She focused her chakra into her other four senses which was the point of covering her eyes. This new jutsu that she had created with the help of Haku allowed her to return to the state she was in when she fought in Wave. It increased all of her senses but negated her sight. Which allowed her to see the world in a different light. She could sense the chakra signatures of everything within a fifty yard radius when in this state. With her increased hearing, she could hear the steps of others and the sound of objects as they fight their way through the friction caused by the wind. And the most important part of this jutsu was the fact that she released a similar chakra pattern to that of a genjutsu leaving those who get too close stuck in her trap. They decided to name it Sakura Genbugano no Jutsu.

She stood still waiting for her opponent or opponents to begin their attack. Seconds became minutes as she continued to play this waiting game. But to her it felt as if time stood still. Suddenly she was forced to evade a burst of wind thrust towards her. She managed to dodge the attack in time to sling two kunai in the direction it came from. She heard two 'clinks' in the distance. She pulled out her third kunai and began to grip the handle as she waited patiently. A shinobi leaped down from above, but she dodged to the left before he could land on her. She pulled up her forehead protector to see who her attacker was. The shinobi was covered in bandaged from head to toe and stood humped over. He also wore sleeves too long for his arms and a music note on his forehead protector. She did not recognize this village but she knew he was an enemy.

"Where's Sasuke?" The shinobi asked. Sakura just glared at him and pulled her forehead protector back over her eyes.

"I see you are not going make this easy for me, which unfortunately will make it very unpleasant for you." The shinobi said as he rolled up his right sleeve to reveal some kind of gauntlet.

He quickly dashed towards Sakura and swung his fist at her. She easily dodged his blow but heard a massive explosion in her ears as she dropped to her knees and covered them. Blood flowed from them as she tried to stay conscious. Suddenly two more shinobi leaped down on the ground behind the first one.

"Well, that was easy." The kunoichi said as she walked over to Sakura and grabbed her by the hair.

"So what do you think we should do with her?" The other shinobi said as he walked over to the one who attacked Sakura.

"Orochimaru-sama said only to kill Sasuke." He said as he searched the area for said person.

"Looking for me?" Sasuke said as he stood up with his Sharingan activated. Sakura pulled up her forehead protector and glanced over at Sasuke. She had noticed his chakra spike up all of a sudden and his voice brought some hope back to her grim situation. That was until she saw him for herself. The feeling she got from him was one of pure hatred and darkness.

"Sasuke-kun?" She asked as Sasuke looked at her. It wasn't the same Sasuke she had known before. It was something different about him.

"Wow! I can't believe how easy this mission is going to be." The other shinobi said, but the trio lost sight of Sasuke as they chuckled together.

"Hey! Where did he go?" The kunoichi yelled. Suddenly Sasuke appeared behind her and grabbed her.

"What's so funny?" He asked as he stabbed two kunai into both of her thighs causing her to collapse to her knees.

"Kin!" One of the shinobi yelled. Suddenly Sasuke appeared behind that shinobi and grabbed his left arm and began to twist it. The shinobi began to scream in agony as the first shinobi charged in for his teammate's aid.

"Zaku!" The shinobi yelled but he wasn't quick enough as Sasuke completely snapped the shinobi's arm in half causing the shinobi named Zaku to scream even louder in pain as he heard his own bones crack.

As the first shinobi charged in, Sasuke quickly leaped backwards and began to smile. His chakra became visible as it began to dance around him almost like a purple tornado.

"Do you want to end up like your friends?" Sasuke said as he continued to smile. The shinobi grabbed his teammates and slowly began to walk away.

"Don't think this is over, Sasuke. We will meet again and the situation will be much different..." The shinobi said as he escaped with his team.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled as she called out to him. Her ears were still ringing from the shinobi's attack as she grabbed them again. Sasuke did not acknowledge her cry as he began to walk in the direction where Naruto left too.

_'What happened to Sasuke-kun? What did that Orochimaru do to him?'_ Sakura asked herself.

Meanwhile, Naruto was at the stream washing the blood from his face and clothes. He was still trying to clear his head. A lot of things that he used to wonder about before he slept were just answered at the least expected time, and there still was more to come after he made up his mind about if he was going to leave with her. The sound of an eerie melody began to play in the distance. He quickly glanced up from the stream to see where it was coming from. His senses suddenly screamed at him to move as a giant hand came crashing down on the ground.

"What the FUCK! I'M REALLY STARTING TO HATE THIS DAMN FOREST!' Naruto yelled. Suddenly the body to which the hand belonged to appeared. This giant looked like he was zombie.

**'First a giant snake, then an even bigger snake, and now a giant zombie. I am afraid to ask what's next.'** Kyuubi said.

Naruto glared up at the zombie as he pulled out two kunai and activated his kazekatana.

_'You sure I can't use that jutsu again?'_ Naruto asked.

**'You can handle this without using that jutsu, kit.'** Kyuubi replied.

_'Fine... fine...'_ Naruto groaned as he leaped out of the way of another attack. He still could hear the sounds of the strange song playing. The giant unleashed a flurry of punches at Naruto. He jumped from left to right and forward to backwards, trying to dodge all the attacks that were thrown at him. The giant was slow but what it lacked in speed it more than made up for it in power. Judging from the craters it was leaving after every blow to the ground one punch could be fatal for Naruto.

Naruto quickly began to swipe at the limbs of the giant. It was easy to tell that the slashes were hurting the beast, but it was no where near enough to take the giant down. The giant managed to land a hit on Naruto as his body was sent flying several yards back through several trees until he collided with a rock formation along the stream. Naruto forced himself up as he coughed up a puddle of blood. The pain his body was going through created a ringing sound in his ears. But he wasn't complaining because it blocked out the annoying melody that had been aggravating him more than the giant was.

The sound returned to Naruto's ears just in time to hear the footsteps of the giant as it closed in on him. He quickly began to go over different plans that could possibly save his life in this dire situation besides running.

_'Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.'_ Naruto said to Kyuubi as he forced his body to move barely dodging the giant's attack.

**'Add more chakra to your Kazekatana. That could do the trick.'** Kyuubi replied. Naruto sighed at her answer and continued to think of a plan to effectively counter. The images of his mother fighting Orochimaru with her claymore began to flood his mind as he quickly thought of an idea. He put away the kunai he held in his left hand and leaped into the tree tops before adding distance between him and the giant. As he did so, he noticed a tiny flicker of light as the melody seemed to be closer than before. A smirk grew on his face as he quickly turned around and gripped the kunai he left out and began to focus a massive amount of chakra into his kunai; so much that the chakra became visible to the human eye as it swirled around him, mixing with the wind. He let out a yell as he forced it all to his kunai, causing the wind around it to extend and spread out almost the same size of his mother's claymore.

The giant lunged at Naruto, but missed as Naruto leaped into the air and allowed gravity to aid him in his first attack as he came crashing down slashing through the giant's right arm. The beast howled in pain as Naruto landed on the ground and slashed off his left leg. As the giant began to collapse, Naruto leaped into the air and decapitated the giant, finishing it off finally.

Naruto took in a deep breath of air and then tilted his head to the side and began to glare up at the tree tops.

"Damn that blond bastard is stronger than I thought..." Another red haired kunoichi said as she pulled her flute away from her mouth. She then noticed that he was staring right at her. "Fuck! The bastard saw me." She said as she started to back up slowly until she walked right into the same blond she was talking about. She quickly turned around and saw it was him and then glance back down to see him still standing there too.

She quickly pulled a kunai and swiped at Naruto's throat who managed to lean back just in time to dodge the sudden attack. She continued her assault by adding a roundhouse kick, which Naruto blocked, grabbed her ankle and slung her into the trunk of the tree, causing her to fall out of it, but at the last minute she grabbed a branch and swung to the ground gracefully. That was when she also ran into the first Naruto who was waiting for her.

He landed a clean blow to her face while the second Naruto leaped from the tree and landed on her, sending her body crashing to the ground. But it disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"Damn, she got away!" Naruto yelled as he collapsed to the ground on his tail end. To say he was exhausted was a huge understatement. He could probably fall asleep and not wake up for a week. He had been through just as many life-threatening battles to equal the amount he fought in his life. Not including the ones which he couldn't defend himself. He suddenly noticed the silhouette of someone as the person walked closer to him. His body tensed up as he gripped the kunai that was still locked in his grip. He then noticed that it was his team-mate Sasuke.

"What the hell are you doing, dobe?" Sasuke said as he approached his blonde teammate.

"Resting. It's a lot of work saving your ass in this damn forest. Next time I am just going to let you die regardless the situation." Naruto said as a smile grew across his face, slipping in and out of consciousness.

Sasuke gripped the kunai that he had in his hand tightly as he began to return to normal, when his teammate and rival passed out right in front of him. He sighed to himself and picked him up before walking back to where he had left Sakura at. He had searched for him to end his life, but it was just not worth killing him in his weakened state. He still wanted to kill him, but when they both were at their fullest capability.

Dawn came quicker than expected for team seven as they still nursed their injuries and now battle scars. Naruto was still in his comma like sleep as Sasuke lifted him on his back and began to carry him once again like the previous night. Sakura could not believe what she was seeing. Sasuke was actually showing concern for someone else other then himself. Not only had Naruto and herself changed, but Sasuke as well. Not as much as the other two, but enough for him to be able to trust and rely on them.

"Hey Sasuke... What happened back there?" Sakura asked. Sasuke grabbed his neck where his bite wound had changed to some type of marking or seal. He just shrugged as he continued to carry his sleeping team-mate on his back.

"I know something happened Sasuke! You need to tell me now! Did you do this to Naruto?" Sakura demanded as she stood in front of him.

"No... The dobe got into another fight, but managed to win it. He's just exhausted right now. Now leave me alone." Sasuke replied with an annoyed tone in his voice. Sakura wanted to question him some more, but something held her back. Sasuke suddenly groaned in pain as he gripped his neck tighter.

"You ok?" Sakura asked.

"I told you to just leave me alone." Sasuke replied with bitterness. The truth was that Sasuke was in a great amount of pain thanks to the bite mark Orochimaru had left him. Every step he took sent a great deal of pain throughout his entire body. But he did not want Sakura to be worried about him. Sakura decided to just stay quiet as they continued on to the tower.

The trip to the tower was quick and uninterrupted unlike the previous night where it felt like the entire world was out to kill them. There was still two full days left of the exam which would be more than enough time for them to heal up they hoped.

_**I did not remember how we made it to the tower or what had happened along the way. But I was more than happy at the fact that we managed to make it there intact despite everything that had transpired to us. What I didn't know was the fact that that was only the beginning of the constant fighting with the worst one yet to come during those chuunin exams**_.

_**Jutsu Translations**_:  
- **Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu**: The Art of Volcanic Spiral Hunter (Direct Translation/Created Jutsu) User summons a massive amount of lava from an already created fire source and that rapidly spines to contain the heat from within. The user then controls the attack using their chakra control to chase/hunt for their opponent during battle.  
- **Sakura Genbugano no Jutsu**: The Art of the Cherry Blossom Trap (Direct Translation/Created Jutsu) User releases subtle amount of chakra in a genjutsu like pattern capturing all who get to close to them. Mainly confuses the opponent into thinking the user is faster or moving in a awkward motion.


	11. Chapter 11: Only the Strong Continue

**Author Notes: First off I would like to thank all you guys who gave me reviews. Second I would like to thank Deathdingle for excepting the role as my beta reader for the story. I apologize for the long wait, school started back up and I have been balancing**** school and work again lol. Hope you continue the story and thanks again for all the love.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
Chapter Eleven: Only the Strongest Continue

_**Waking up the night before the second exam ended with Iruka-sensei standing over me was a shocking surprise. My arms had finally stopped burning but there where still questions that were going to be sent my way thanks to the seals Kyuubi placed on me. Sadly that would turn out to be the least of worries.**_

"You're finally awake, Naruto?" Iruka-sensei asked with concern plastered all over his face. I released a loud yawn as I stretched my arms above my head.

"That was a good nap. Am I a chuunin yet, sensei?" I asked in a groggy tone as I almost fell back to sleep. Suddenly everything hit me like a brick. "Iruka-sensei?! What are you doing here in the forest?!" I yelled as I leaped out of the bed with my head swivelling.

"Calm down Naruto, you're too loud. This is the medical ward of the tower in the forest. Your team made it here a day ago and you have been asleep ever since then. Sasuke had to carry you on his back." Iruka-sensei said.

"Great... Now I actually owe the teme something..." I muttered under my breath.

"What happened out there, Naruto?" Iruka-sensei asked with concern still covering his face.

"Not much besides me capturing the second scroll all by myself, taking on a huge snake and killing it, taking on an even larger snake fused with that Orochimaru-teme, and..."

"Orochimaru?!" Iruka-sensei interrupted. I nodded and continued. "...finally meeting my mother after she took care of that teme..."

"Your mother?! Kushina-san?" Iruka-sensei interrupted again. I sighed with annoyance and nodded as I tried to continue on again. "...and the last thing I remember was being attacked by a giant zombie that was being controlled by another red-headed kunoichi with her flute, but I took care of them. The girl got away, though." I said as I finally got the chance to finish.

"What was Orochimaru doing there? What did he want?" Iruka-sensei asked.

"I don't know what the ero-hebi wanted, but I do know he kind of singled out Sasuke. Did he really used to be one of the great sanin?" I said as I slowly stood up from my bed.

"Yes and still is. You all are fortunate that Kushina-san or whoever she was saved your life. I find it hard to believe that the kunoichi who saved you was your mother. She died around..."

"She told me who my father was... and she had a familiar feeling about her. A feeling that I had felt before a very long time ago that I couldn't remember until she hugged me. For the first time I felt bliss and safe." I interrupted this time as I glanced down at the floor. Iruka-sensei was caught off guard a little, but he soon continued his little interrogation on me.

"Sorry for doubting your judgement, Naruto. Just want you to be careful around her until we know for a fact she is your real mother. And Naruto..." Iruka-sensei paused as I looked up at him. "Where did you get those marks on your arms. They look like seals or some sort. Did Orochimaru do this to you?" Iruka-sensei asked. I shook my head.

"Now is not the time to explain what this is." I said as I rubbed my arms and walked toward the door. "Oh, where is the food kept in this tower? I could go for several bowls of ramen right about now." I said with a smile on my face trying to lighten up the mood. He smiled back and pulled out a scroll and pressed his hand against the center causing a puff of smoke to appear from it. Suddenly there were several different bowls of hot steaming ramen all over the floor.

"I figured you would be hungry." Iruka-sensei said. I ran over to him and gave a huge hug before diving into the food.

After about ten bowls of instant ramen I was up and about walking around the tower as dawn approached. My arms weren't burning any more but they still tingled along the seals.

_'Why are my arms itching so much?'_ I asked Kyuubi.

**'While you were sleeping the seal began to change, and no, I didn't have anything to do with it. Your body is undergoing some kind of change that I didn't predict would happen.'** Kyuubi replied.

_'What do you mean change?!' _I yelled.

**'What did I tell you about yelling!? And change as in puberty, the strange thing you humans go through right around this age. The seals are melding in with your body as more of my own chakra is being channelled into you. Pretty soon the seal will open a direct connection between mine and your chakra where you can use my chakra any time you want and vice versa because of the constant flow between the two once the seal has completed its third stage. That was how I was able to use your chakra to create a clone of me bringing you the scroll back when you had to fight off that damn snake.'** Kyuubi said.

_'Wouldn't that kill me? There's no way I could contain the chakra of both of us.'_ I asked with concern slowly building up.

**'The seal has also been aiding my healing ability which is almost equal to that of my chakra supply to your body, healing you every time my chakra flows in you. That is why you have that itching feeling now.'** Kyuubi said.

_'Will it always itch like this?' _I asked.

**'I don't know kit. Remember I told you that I didn't predict all of this.'** Kyuubi said.

_'Some help you are...'_ I replied.

**'Be happy you're not dead, baka!'** Kyuubi yelled.

_'True...Gomen' _I said as I ran into Sasuke. He was in the training area taking out some frustration on a punching bag.

"Having fun, teme?" I asked as I walked in. "Are we the only ones to make it here this early?" I continued as I continued to look around for some other people. I waited for a reply from him but got nothing but silence as he continued to attack the defenceless punching bag.

"Did the forest make you deaf?!" I asked as I continued to watch him. I barely could contain my anger as he continued to ignore me. He at least could have grunted or shook his head.

"Hey!" I yelled. He quickly leaped in the air and slung a kunai at me giving me only half a second to move as the blade slide across my face causing blood to escape from it. I quickly pulled out my kunai and braced myself for another attack as I activated my Kazekatana. I watched him as he landed with his red sharingan eyes blazing fiercely as if he was trying to see into my soul.

"What is your problem now!" I yelled as he just stared at me. He began to motion for his pouch on his leg when I quickly charged at him and sent a heavy blow to his head. But it turned out to only be a fake as he transformed into a wooden log. I quickly turned around just in time to block a head on attack by him.

"Stop holding back, dobe!" Sasuke yelled as he leaped backwards and re-entered his stance.

"Why should I fight you now? We still are in the middle of the exams, in case you haven't forgotten!" I yelled back at him. He stood up and grabbed his neck as he groaned. He suddenly shook his head and walked off out of the training room.

'What the hell was that all about?' I said mentally.

"For some reason he's been acting that way since the run in we had with Orochimaru." I turned around to see Sakura-chan standing there with a solemn look on her face. "I'm worried about him. He changed a lot since we became a team. I mean we all have but now the way he has been acting lately has been scaring me..." Sakura-chan finish.

"Yeah, I know... He was actually trying to kill me here. Normally its just a fight to see who can beat the hell out of each other." I said as I sat down on the bench. She sat down beside me and placed her head in her hands.

"Do you think he'll be ok?" Sakura-chan asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it. Think he is just stressed out about all the fighting we've gone through." I replied.

"Yeah, but that bite mark that Orochimaru placed on his neck has changed something in him. I didn't understand what Orochimaru was saying to your mom, but I did pick up where he said that Sasuke would seek him for power." Sakura said as she held her head down.

"You still care about him don't you?" I asked as I glanced over at her.

"Yeah..." Sakura-chan quietly replied.

"Don't worry about him leaving. I'll just beat him until he wishes he was dead then drag him back to you if he tries." I said with a huge smile on my face.

"Why do you care if he leaves or not?" She asked.

"To be honest, I don't. Just hate to see you get hurt. So I'll bring him back to you..." I said as I looked up at the ceiling.

"But aren't you leaving the village with your mom? I mean, I would if I were you. Why try to protect a village that has hated you for something you had no control over?" She asked as she finally looked back up at me.

"Simple, there are still people here I wish to protect and if protecting them means protecting this village, then so be it." I said as I continued to stare upward.

"You have matured a lot, Naruto." She said. I looked down at her and smiled.

"Arigatou." I said. She looked back up at me and smiled too. Then it became slightly awkward as she continued to stare and smile. I released a yawn as I started to fight my losing battle with sleep. "Man, this exam has given me nothing but hell to deal with." I said in a tired voice. She nodded and glanced back down at the ground.

"I know... So many things have happened to us in the past two days that I am a nervous wreck. I haven't been able to relax since." Sakura-chan said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean... But things should be coming to an end soon. I heard there are only three exams anyway and we have already passed the second faster than any other team. We should get some sleep now so we can be ready for the next exam. I'm pretty sure the third exam is going to be harder than the previous two." I said as I rose up.

"Arigatou, Naruto." She said. I nodded as I started to exit the room. "Oh... Yugito and her team made it here too." Sakura-chan added. I smiled as I continued to walk out.

The walk to my room was a quick one as I began to go over what had happened to us as a team. Talking a little bit with Sakura-chan caused me to reminisce a little. I had come a long way from the dead-last joke-of-the-class to the blonde enigma. Konoha was in for a huge surprise when they see the new me.

I glanced over my arms as the seals began to itch again. I had grown used to wearing my jacket without the sleeves; it gave me quicker access to scratch my arms. But I knew the questions would soon flood in about how I got these markings. But I didn't really care about any of that.

When I got to the room I just crashed into the bed and I was fast asleep.

It felt like only a minute had passed when Sakura-chan woke me up. It was time for the announcement of the rules of the third and final exam.

Upon arriving to an arena like room I noticed that the entire rookie nine of Konoha had made it yet again. I noticed Yugito-chan as her team entered the room as well. Also saw Rock Lee and his team-mates it in as well.

Then I saw her, the red-headed that attacked me with two other pale guys, she glanced right at me and flipped me off. I did the first thing that came to my mind in that situation. I flipped her off as well. Normally I don't like fighting girls, but that one in particular made me want to kill her.

There was a stage of some sort in front of us as each of our sensei began to instruct us to get in lines of our teams. On that stage stood all the sensei and ojii-san. I looked around and began to wonder what this third exam would be.

**II**

"Nine teams left. Twenty-seven total genin. This is a problem..." The Sandaime Hokage said to himself as he glanced over at Anko. She caught his glare and slowly backed away from him as he took in another puff of his pipe. He then smiled at her to let her know he was not displeased with the results. Not to mention how many of his own genin had made it this far. All of Konohagakure's rookie nine had made it. Then Team Gai's team made it as well as another veteran squad of genin from his village. Making the total of Konohagakure shinobi left at fifteen. Then there were the shinobi from the new village known as Otogakure. They had a strong show for a new village with six genin left. Then there were the three genin from Sunagakure and the other three from Kumogakure bringing the total to twenty-seven total.

"So what are we going to do, Sandaime-sama?" Anko asked him. He took another puff of his pipe and quickly came up with a plan as he stepped forward and cleared his throat to get all the genins' attention.

"First off I would like to congratulate you all for making it this far. We even had a team to break the record for the quickest run of the second exam." He glanced over at Naruto's team. "But unfortunately not all of you can proceed to the third and final exam." He said as he stared at them all.

"NANI!" All of the genin shouted.

"Calm down. How we are going to decide who will continue on is by having a preliminary. Unlike the first and second exams the final exam will be held in front of an audience. Lords from many lands will come over to view your skills as a shinobi and also as potential clients for your villages. Because of time constraints there is no way we could have you all make it past this stage." The Sandaime said.

"Then what the hell are the preliminaries?!" One genin yelled out. The Sandaime glanced over at one of the Tokubetsu Jonin. Said nin nodded and leaped in front of the Sandaime.

"My name is Gekko Hayate and I will be in charge of the preliminaries and will also act as your referee." The now identified Hayate said.

"Ref?" One of the genin asked.

"Before we start I will let everyone know..." He paused as he broke into a coughing fit. He then cleared his throat and continued. "you will be forced to fight once again and if you are not in capable condition or just wish to give up now you are free to leave." Hayate said.

At first there was silence until one genin raised his hand and said he quit. Everyone turned to see who it was. It turned out to be Kabuto. The genin from the beginning who had already failed many times.

The Hokage watched him as he walked off toward the exit.

"Who is he?" The Sandaime asked.

"Yakushi Kabuto, this will be his fifth time failing this exam." Ibiki said.

"Strange... Maybe we should keep an eye on him." Anko said to Ibiki.

Hayate watch Kabuto walk off then looked back at the genin who stood before him.

"Now, are there anymore who wish to quit now?" Hayate asked. After a few moments passed by he glance back at the Sandaime as he nodded at him. "Good, here are the rules: Each participant will have to fight at least once with four fighting twice and one fighting three times."

"Bullshit!" Screamed the red head kunoichi as several others agreed with her. Hayate just went into another coughing fit as he ignored their complaints.

"Each match will be decided randomly. In each match you are allowed to use weapons or any shinobi tools to aid you in battle. You are also allowed to kill if necessary, but if I call the fight then it is over. I may step in before the final blow is dealt if needed. Now if you please, could all teams and their respective sensei clear the floor." Hayate said right before he broke into another coughing fit.

As each team walked up the stairs to the second floor, where it looked like a walkway that circled the arena, two boards on the wall began to slide away from each other, revealing a board. At first it was blank but then both sides began to light up as it began to run through all the genins name. Suddenly it stopped on Uchiha Sasuke vs. Inuzuka Kiba.

"Good, we get to see what this year's number one rookie has." Tenten said as she glanced over at Neji.

All the genin teams from Konohagakure had bunched up together.

"I hope you used all that potential properly because Kiba is about to create an upset." Yuhi Kurenai said to Kakashi. The jonin sensei over the team that consist of Kiba, Hinata, and Shino. But Kakashi's expression was one of pure shock.

"Are you that worried, Kakashi?" Kurenai asked. Kurenai then followed his eye which caused her to turn around. As she did she saw a kunoichi that she thought she would never see again.

"Kushina-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"Wow! You've grown a lot since I last saw you Kakashi-chan." Kushina said as she looked him over.

"But I... but I..." Kakashi tried to get out but Kushina stopped him.

"Too long to explain. Just here to watch what my Naru-chan can do." Kushina said.

"Naru-chan? Naruto?" Kurenai asked. Kushina glanced over her and nodded.

"Mom...?" Naruto reluctantly asked.

"Yeah?" Kushina replied.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked as he walked closer to her.

"To see if you really are as tough as they say. You do have big shoes to fill." Kushina said. Naruto paled a little as he compared his feats to that of his father. Kakashi was still at a loss of words.

Back at the stage Anko was confused. She had never seen that kunoichi before and could not understand how someone could sneak in with not only her, but some of the best jonin of Konohagakure and the Hokage standing there.

"Who is that?" Anko asked the Sandaime Hokage.

"Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kushina." Sandaime replied.

"Nani! But I thought she was dead..." Anko said.

"We all did." Sandaime said.

"Are you sure it's her?" Anko asked.

"Yes." The Sandaime replied.

Suddenly Hayate walked to the center of the floor and looked up.

"Would the two contestants step down?" Hayate asked.

Sasuke hopped down effortlessly as all eyes were on him because of his reputation. He was one of Konoha's most prized prodigies and the future of one of the former most powerful clans of the village.

Kiba leaped down after him with Akamaru on his head. Kiba's mind was clear of any thoughts. This was his chance to prove to everyone how strong he was and he was not going to make any mistakes. He knew Sasuke had more than proved his status of number one rookie plenty of times in the past.

"Alright. Begin" Hayate said as he lowered his hand.

**Uchiha Sasuke vs Inuzaku Kiba**

"Yosh! Akamaru lets show em' what we are made of! Shikyaku no Jutsu" Kiba shouted as he got down on all fours and both him and his dog charged at Sasuke. The Uchiha just stood there in his normal stance. Kiba got in range and threw a right hook at Sasuke, who easily dodged the attack and countered with a swift kick to Kiba's stomach sending him to the pavement. Akamaru leaped at Sasuke, but he grabbed him by his neck and slung it at Kiba as both collided with one another head first.

Back with the rest of genin, Naruto was mainly paying attention at Sasuke's every move. He knew they would eventually meet in a real fight.

"Kiba's off to a bad start by the looks of it." Naruto said as he looked on.

"It's far from over, though." Kurenai said as she watched with confidence still in her posture.

Back on the floor, Kiba forced himself up and launched two kunai but Sasuke easily caught them and threw them back. Kiba nonchalantly dodged and leaped above them in the air. Pulling out two smoke bombs, he slammed them against the ground, causing the arena floor to be covered in smoke.

_'Now's my chance to finish this bastard off. There is no way he can see me now.' _Kiba mentally said as he used his keen sense of smell to pinpoint Sasuke's location in the smoke. Once he found him he pulled out a kunai and began to charge in again for another attack, hoping that it would be successful one. But there was something he didn't count on.

As Kiba got close to Sasuke, he was met with a heavy blow to his face, courtesy of Sasuke's foot, as yet again he was sent crashing down to the ground. The smoke slowly began to fade as Kiba caught sight of Sasuke's eyes. They both were blood red and looked like they could kill without needing to move the slightest.

_'I must use my last resort... This guy is on another level...'_ Kiba mentally said.

"Akamaru! Come here, boy!" Kiba yelled as his faithful friend ran over to him. He pulled out two soldier pills and fed one to his dog and then popped one in his mouth. Akamaru's white fur began to shift to an auburn shade as both became more feral looking. Akamaru transformed into a clone of Kiba and stood by the original. Sasuke just smirked as he remained calm and poised as if the battle was already won.

Kurenai was feeling a little worried about her student, but when she saw him pull out the soldier pills she started to feel a little bit better.

"Now its time for Kiba to get serious." Kurenai said as she looked on with great interest to see how well her student had improved himself.

"Shikyaku no Jutsu!" The Kiba pair yelled as they crouched down on all fours and charged at Sasuke at even faster speeds. Sasuke was caught off guard as he received a heavy blow from the back.

_'When did he get behind me?'_ Sasuke asked as he caught his balance at the last minute and landed back on his feet.

He just barely noticed Kiba lunge at him.

"Had enough already?" One of the Kiba's asked as they both stood by each other again. Sasukes face shifted to a sinister smirk as his chakra began to flare up, sort of like it did back in the forest. The seal on his neck began to spin causing a painful burning sensation, but to Sasuke the pain felt good. It made him crave more. He began to laugh sinisterly.

"What's so funny?" Kiba asked as he glared at Sasuke.

Sakura's nightmare had returned. She had hoped that he had only acted that way because of the pressure he was under and the fact that their lives were in danger. But now was different, Kiba was a rival yes, but still an ally. There was no reason for him to be like that again.

Naruto watched on with great interest. His lifelong rival was behaving differently. He had actually showed emotion in this fight. But there was also something ominous about him now. Something just didn't sit right with Naruto.

Kushina walked over to Kakashi and whispered in his ear. "Your lil' prodigy had a run in with Orochimaru in the forest, which left an impression on him it seems." Kakashi quickly turned to her with his one eye wide in shock. "He has that damned seal he created. You should check up on him after this match... that is if he hasn't crossed over yet. He seems to enjoy the pain from the look on his face." Kushina continued as she walked over to Naruto.

Kiba continued to glare at Sasuke as he continued to laugh.

"Are you going to answer my question or not!" Kiba yelled as the second Kiba began to charge towards Sasuke. As he got close Sasuke tilted his head to the side and sent a quick blow to that Kiba's face sent him flying several feet back knocking him out cold.

"Oh... Nothing really. Just how much of a waste of time you are to me." Sasuke said as he began to glare at him. The Kiba that was knocked unconscious transformed back in to Akamaru with a puff of smoke.

"Akamaru! You are going to pay for that!" Kiba yelled.

Kushina crossed her arms and leaned up against the wall.

"Looks like it's over for him now." Kushina said as she sat down and closed her eyes. Kurenai glanced at her but chose not to argue. Deep down inside she felt the dark chakra surge inside of Sasuke. She knew Kiba wasn't ready for something like this.

Kiba began to charge at Sasuke even faster than before, but in a blind fit of rage. Sasuke leaped backwards gaining some room between him and Kiba. He started to take in a large amount of wind and chakra as he went through several hand seals.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as he released a massive fire ball from his mouth. From the size and speed of it, Kiba knew he would not be able to take this blast head on. He started to move but then he realized he couldn't. Something had grabbed him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sasuke said from behind him. Sasuke had appeared from behind and grabbed him.

"What the hell are you doing baka! You'll get hit too!" Kiba yelled as he tried to struggle against his binds before he was engulfed in the massive flame. But it soon became futile as the attack exploded onto Kiba setting his entire body on fire.

Naruto could not believe what was going on down there.

"I... I don't understand... why didn't Kiba move?" Naruto asked.

"The Uchiha's eyes..." Kushina replied.

"Huh?" Naruto said as he looked up at his mom.

"The sharingan... he captured Kiba in a genjutsu before he released his attack so Kiba couldn't dodge." Kakashi said.

"Those eyes can do that?" Naruto asked. Kakashi nodded.

_'We're going to need something to counter it, I see.' _Naruto said mentally.

**'For once, I agree with you kit...'** Kyuubi said.

Medics rushed to the floor to save Kiba's life. Sasuke had actual tried to kill Kiba. Sasuke glanced over at Hayate waiting for him to sound the end. Hayate glared at Sasuke but raised his hand.

"Winner: Uchiha Sasuke." Hayate said.

**Winner: Uchiha Sasuke**

**'Well that was an interesting fight if I do say so myself.' **Kyuubi said.

_'Sasuke has changed...' _Naruto said.

Sasuke glanced up at his potential challenges, Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji, Subaku no Gaara, and his blonde team-mate Naruto. He couldn't wait to kill them all. They all were just stepping stones for him to gain greater power now.

Naruto noticed the looks he was giving him and the others. He gripped the railing tightly as he tried to contain his anxiety. He could feel his fierce killer intent and it was driving him crazy. At first it was about becoming a chuunin, but now it was different. As he glared at Sasuke and the other strong genin there; he couldn't help but feel excited. This was his chance to prove to everyone how strong he really was.

Everybody looked over at the board as it began to run through the many names left to decide the second bout. The names that appeared were Hyuuga Neji and Akado Yoroi.

"Hmph...And I was hoping for a challenge." Neji said as he looked over at his opponent.

"Would the contestants come to the floor!" Hayate yelled.

Neji was the first to leap down followed by Yoroi.

"It's unwise to underestimate your opponent before you have even seen what they are capable of." Yoroi said as he glared at him.

"Any shinobi your age and still only a genin shouldn't even be considered a worthy opponent..." Neji replied as his arrogant demeanour began to show.

Sasuke glanced at the board and began to grin once again.

"So I get to see last year's number one rookie go at it now." Sasuke said as he reached the area where the others were.

"Sasuke, I need you to come with me." Kakashi said.

"After this fight..." Sasuke said as he looked on.

"Kakashi placed his hand on his shoulder where his seal was and began to apply pressure causing Sasuke to groan in pain. Sakura during the entire time was still very worried about the situation and Kakashis actions only further heightened it.

"Now." Kakashi said.

"Yeah..." Sasuke said as he was forced to leave with his sensei.

Hayate began to glance back and forth between the fighters.

"Now if you two are ready, begin." Hayate said.

**Hyuuga Neji vs Akado Yoroi**

"You are going to regret the moment you underestimated me." Yoroi said as chakra began to glow around his hands. Neji began to focus his chakra into his eyes as he activated his kekkei genkai.

"Byakugan!" Neji yelled. The veins around his eyes began to bulge out as he entered the 'Jyuuken' stance.

"This should be fun defeating a Hyuuga." Yoroi said as he quickly dashed at Neji with his right hand open. Neji leaped to the side as his eyes zeroed in on Yoroi's main attack. He did not know what he was capable of, but his eyes showed him the massive amount of chakra that was flowing around his hands. He knew he needed to stay away from Yoroi's grasp, but he refused to allow himself to run as well.

Yoroi glanced behind him, where Neji stood and dashed at him again. This time even faster than before. But unlike before, Neji was more than prepared as he side-stepped his attack once again, this time he struck Yoroi with several blows to his right arm and side. Yoroi grunted a little but the attack wasn't enough to slow him down as he sent a round house kick to Neji's head. Neji easily blocked the attack and continued his assault as he struck Yoroi's leg with his finger tips. He then sent an open palm thrust into Yoroi's chest sending him flying to the ground.

Neji stood up and exited his fighting stance as his arrogance resurfaced when he looked down on Yoroi.

"You should give up. This fight is already over." Neji said.

Naruto could not believe how cocky this guy was.

"What is he talking about? All he did was knock him down and he is already claiming victory." Naruto said.

"It is not as simple as that Naruto-san." Lee said as he and the rest of team Gai walked over.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"See, Neji is also a taijutsu specialist like me. But unlike me, his attacks are internal while mine are external. Every blow he lands is aimed directly at one of his opponent's chakra points closing it." Lee said.

"How is that possible?" Naruto asked.

"Neji's eyes" Tenten said. "His Byakugan grants him and all Hyuuga the ability to see 360 degrees around him and also allows them to see the chakra flow of others. That combined with his natural skills of being genius is what makes him the strongest fighter here." Tenten continued.

"That is until he meets up with me." Naruto said with confidence blazing in his eyes. Tenten let out a short laugh while Lee looked on at the battle. Naruto chose to ignore Tenten and watch the battle as well.

Yoroi forced himself up and charged directly at Neji, but this time Neji wasn't moving. Yoroi's hands landed around Neji's neck as he began to chock him.

"And who was one demanding the other to give up again?" Yoroi chuckled. "See I have an unusual ability. I can absorb chakra from others just by having physical contact. I'm somewhat like a parasite you could say." Yoroi said.

Neji smirked and grabbed Yoroi wrist and squeezed it until he released his neck.

"I did notice something strange about you, but that lowly ability of yours won't work anymore. You fell in my trap the second time you attacked me." Neji said as he continued to tighten his grip around Yoroi's wrist, making him fall to his knees in pain.

"Wh-w-what happened?" Yoroi asked.

"Nothing a failure like you needs to worry about." Neji said as he released Yoroi's wrist and thrust two open palms in to Yorois chest almost sending him through the concrete floor.

As he was coughing Hayate walked over to Yorois body and named Neji the victor.

**Winner: Hyuuga Neji**

As the medics carried Yoroi's body off the board began to run through the remaining names. Naruto was really hoping he would be the next one to fight. Then the two sides stopped on Kinuta Dosu and Ulio Lei.

The two quickly leaped down to the arena floor.

"Just to let you know that none of this is personal. There is a teme from Konoha that I really want to kill and you stand in my way." Lei said as he glared at Dosu.

Sakura could barely contain her laughter after hearing Lei's reference of her teammate.

"Wow, he really hates you Naruto." Sakura said.

"Who is he again?" Naruto asked. Sakura just shook her head as she decided to pay more attention to the fight.

Dosa chuckled as he glared at Lei.

"Don't worry about that. I feel the same way for the similar reason." Dosu replied.

"Good." Lei said as he entered his fighting stance. Hayate made the motion for them to begin as he began to cough once again.

**Kinuta Dosu vs Ulio Lei **

Lei focused his chakra into his gauntlets as he waited for Dosu to make his first move. Dosu slid his sleeves up and charge in for the attack. Before Dosa could get in close enough to land a hit Lei punched the ground sending a shockwave in Dosu's direction knocking him off balance. Lei quickly took advantage of Dosu position as he lunged in and sent a heavy blow to Dosu's rib cage sending him crashing to the ground and sliding for several feet.

But unfortunately for Dosu, Lei wasn't done. Before Dosu could stop himself from sliding Lei leaped up and came down onto of him causing him to scream in agony. Lei then began to pound upon Dosu's battered body over and over as the pupils in his eye disappeared laughing insanely as blood began to fly everywhere from the constant beating.

Ty sighed, she couldn't have been more annoyed at her dumb team-mate than she was then.

"The baka went berserk..." Ty said in a frustrated tone to Aoi. "And I told him to hold back." She sighed.

"Don't worry about him. He is just trying to show off because he has a rival now." Aoi replied as she looked on. Yugito, on the other hand, wasn't paying much attention to fight, she was looking over at Naruto. She was hoping that she wouldn't have to fight him. Not out of fear though. He was the only person in this world now that she could not fight fully due to her feelings. The first person to ever make her feel those wonderful feelings. There was no way she could fight him.

Hayate leaped in and grabbed Lei by the back of his shirt and slung him off of Dosu, automatically announcing Lei the winner.

**Winner: Ulio Lei**

Lei snapped out of his trance as he glared up at Naruto. The blond caught his glare and began to glare back down at him.

Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Are you worried about him?" Sakura asked.

"Nahh... Just playing with him." Naruto replied.

"I don't think it's smart to just play with him like that." Sakura said.

The board began to run through names again as the medics were removing Dosa from the floor. Nara Shikamaru and Tsurugi Misumi were the next two genin that had to fight.

The constant sound of crunching and the crackling sound of a bag were heard in the direction of where Shikamaru and the rest of his team were.

"Looks like it's your time Shikamaru." Choji said as he continued to snack on his bag of chips. Shikamaru sighed as he stood up.

"Yeah..." Shikamaru said.

"Is someone scared?" Ino teased.

"Far from it. I just think this all is too troublesome." Shikamaru replied as he began to walk to the steps. Misumi decided to take the quickest route that everyone else was taking and leaped to the arena floor. Meanwhile Shikamaru was taking his time.

"What's taking you so long?! You can just give up you know?" Misumi yelled at Shikamaru. Said genin just yawned as he finally made to the floor and was directly in front of Misumi.

"Can we get this over with already?" Shikamaru yawned as he glanced over at Hayate. Before Hayate could say anything Misumi grabbed Shikamaru by his collar and lifted him off his feet.

"I think you should maybe take me a little bit more serious." Misumi said. Shikamaru continued to look over at Hayate and forced himself free as he lifted his legs and sent a heavy kick to Misumi's chest pushing him back symbolizing the beginning of the match.

**Nara Shikamaru vs Tsurugi Misumi**

Shikamaru began to create a little more distance between him and Misumi as Misumi forced himself off the ground.

"That was a cheap shot!" Misumi yelled.

"No such thing in the world of shinobi." Shikamaru said as he stopped when he reached the wall.

Frustrated a little by Shikamaru's first attack, he launched several shruiken at Shikamaru, forcing him to evade and giving Misumi enough time to close the gap between the two. But Shikamaru just kept the same distance between the two, no matter how much Misumi tried to get close to him.

"I'm getting tired of playing this chasing game! Stop running and fight me!" Misumi yelled.

"Why would I do that when you are doing all my fighting for me." Shikamaru replied.

"What are you talking about?" Misumi asked. Suddenly at the last moment he noticed Shikamaru placed a kunai into the ground. Misumi began to look at all the other places where Shikamaru had stopped at. Each place had a kunai stabbed into the ground and they all surrounded him.

"What is this?" Misumi asked.

"You fell right in my trap. This match is done." Shikamaru said as he began to run through several hand seals.

"Kage Akuryoku no Jutsu!" Shikamaru yells as his shadow extended from him to the shadow of the kunai he had just placed in front of him. Suddenly it split in two different directions following the kunai pattern he had made until he had completely surrounded his opponent. Misumi was following the movement of the shadow right until they grabbed him around his neck and lifted him into the air.

Misumi grabbed at his neck as the shadow's hands began to increase their grip. Slowly he felt himself slip in and out of consciousness as his body failed to receive the oxygen it needed to continue.

It was obvious to the jonin that this jutsu was pulling at Shikamarus short chakra supply too, as sweat began to slide down his forehead while he held onto the jutsu, constantly increasing the pressure of it.

"When did Shikamaru learn that move?" Ino turned and asked Asuma, her sensei. He took in another drag of his cigarette and glanced down at her.

"You'd be surprised at what he can do." Asuma said as he focused back on his student.

Finally Misumi passed out as his face now was the shade of a pale blue. Not to make any mistakes Shikamaru held onto the jutsu until Hayate called the match.

"You can drop him now." Hayate said as he looked over at Shikamaru. Shikamaru nodded and canceled his jutsu.

**Winner: Nara Shikamaru**

Shikamaru released a loud breath of air as he finally realized his victory.

Ino began to cheer her teammate on. She could barely believe that one of her team-mates had an even better chance to make it to the third exam. Even though she didn't want to admit it, her team was the weakest of the rookie nine.

"Way to go, Shikamaru!" Ino yelled. Shikamaru just sighed as he mumbled 'troublesome woman'.

Naruto clapped his hands as he watched Shikamaru walk toward the stairs.

"Who knew Shikamaru had it in him. Going to have to watch out for him from now on." Naruto said out loud to himself.

Yugito began to walk over where Naruto and the rest of the leaf shinobi were. She wanted to talk to him to see if he was worried about the chance they could be forced to fight each other.

"Naruto-kun..." Yugito said in a very low tone that was almost wasn't heard by Naruto. Naruto quickly turned around to see who had said his name.

"Yugito-chan? You ok?" Naruto asked as he realized who it was saying his name.

"Aren't you worried at all?" Yugito asked with a blank expression on her face.

"Worried about what?" Naruto asked.

"The fact that we may actually have to fight each other.." Yugito answered.

"Oh... I guess I didn't even think about that..." Naruto said as he began to ponder the thought.

"Kami! It seems that even if you have gotten a lot stronger and smarter, your dumb moments always resurface..." Sakura said as she punched him on the top of his head. Yugito instantly tensed up as she prepared herself to retaliate on Naruto's behalf. Sakura noticed this and instantly jumped back.

"It's ok, Yugito-chan. She was just playing." Naruto said as he waved his hands in front of Yugito.

Kushina eyes popped up after she heard her son refer to someone as chan and quickly jumped up.

"And who is this, Naru-chan?" Kushina asked as she walked up to the three. Naruto sighed because he obviously wasn't a fan of the nickname his mother had given him.

"Nii Yugito." Yugito said as she bowed.

"This is Naruto's lover..." Sakura teased which caused both Naruto's and Yugito's face to shift to a blood red complexion.

"Not lovers!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh? Don't lie to your mother, Naru-chan..." Kushina said as she began to look Yugito up and down.

"Look, they already decided on the next fight." Naruto said trying to change the subject. But when he realized what name was on the board he instantly tensed up and so did Yugito. It was Sabuku no Gaara and Abumi Zaku.

"It's him..." Yugito said as her face returned to its normal emotionless shell.

"Well, let's see what he has." Naruto said.

Kankuro glanced up at the board and then at Temari.

'Gaara's turn... This most likely will end up in a blood bath...' Kankuro said to himself as he looked over at his younger brother.

"Remember to control yourself Gaara." Temari said. Gaara gave her a look that told of a thousand ways he could kill her, causing her to back up.

"She's just worried about you... that's all..." Kankuro said as he tried to quell his brother's killing intent towards their older sister. He glanced over at Kankuro and then shushined off in a whirlwind of sand to the floor.

Kin became slightly worry as Zaku's name appeared on the board.

"You sure you can fight?" Kin asked Zaku as he now had his arm wrapped in a bandage.

"I'm pretty sure I can make it past this guy with no hands." He said with a smirk on his face. He leaped down to the floor where Gaara was already waiting for him.

As he landed the cork that was on Gaara's gourd popped off and sand began to flow out of it. Hayate looked at both shinobi and signalled for them to begin.

**Sabaku no Gaara vs Abumi Zaku**

The sand continued to pour out of the gourd as it quickly began to flow towards Zaku.

"Sabaku Kyuu" Gaara said as the sand became more aggressive.

"What the hell?! Zaku yelled as he tried to evade the sand. But he failed to notice the sand that was already behind him as it began to cover him. Zaku's body was soon completely immersed in sand. Gaara lifted his hand and the sand that was on Zaku followed lifting him up into the air.

"Well, this fight is over." Kankuro said as he began to step back so that none of the blood would splatter on him. Temari quickly followed suit.

"Sabaku Sousou!" Gaara yelled as he squeezed his hand closed causing all the sand around Zaku to crush him like an insect, sending a shower of blood in all directions. Gaara's cold and calm mask quickly changed into a sinister grin as he watched the blood pour down.

Kin collapsed to her knees as she watched her second teammate be killed right before her eyes. The more that happened the more she doubted Orochimaru's promises.

**Winner: Sabaku no Gaara**

Sakura leaped up against the wall so none of the blood would hit her.

"That's a horrible way to go." Kushina said as she too stepped back.

Naruto, on the other hand, was still caught up in the moment and was pulled out of the way by Yugito. He knew Gaara was strong, but he never imagined it would be to that degree.

Back on the floor, the medics were rushing to the now dead remains of Zaku as they hurried to clean up the mess. Gaara glanced up at Naruto with his insane grin and shushined back to were his siblings were.

Ino's skin began to crawl as she caught a glance at Gaara's eerie way of killing someone.

"Talking about a creepy guy..." Ino said.

A chill was left in the air since the rules of these preliminaries would require some of them to fight more than once meaning it was still possible that they would have to fight him.

**III**

In one of the many rooms in the tower, Kakashi was working on trying to figure out a way to remove the cursed seal from Sasuke neck.

"Why are you wasting my time, sensei? I need to see how the others fight." Sasuke said with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"We need to take care of the more important things first, then we get to that." Kakashi replied as he finished the pattern of over forty hand seals and pressed his hand against the seal of Sasuke's neck, causing him to cry out in pain. The pain was so agonizing to Sasuke that it forced him to fall unconscious from it.

"Hmm... Very interesting." A strange voice came from behind them. Kakashi quickly turned his head to see who it was. But there was no one there.

"I see you succeeded in delaying the process of the seal, but you are far from stopping it or my plans. Konohagakure will fall very soon..." The same strange voice said again, but this time in front of Kakashi.

Kakashi quickly turned back to see the last person he wanted to see anytime soon, Orochimaru.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi said as he entered a fighting stance.

"Kukukuku. I can't just visit? It has been a long time since I last saw you in person..." Orochimaru said.

"Not long enough, unfortunately." Kakashi said as he began to reach for his forehead protector and lifted it up to reveal his sharingan eye.

"There will be no need for us to fight, Kakashi-kun. I just came here to see how's my Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru said as he raised his hands up to symbolize that he wasn't there to fight.

"Stay away from Sasuke..." Kakashi said in a very bitter tone.

"I'm not the one you will have to worry about. He will come to me instead." Orochimaru said as he walked past Kakashi with his sinister snake of grin on his face. With that he was gone.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked as he snapped back into consciousness. Kakashi released a huge breath of air as he finally began to calm down. Kakashi knew he was strong but he could not fight off any one of the Sanin if they went at him full force, and especially not the strongest.

"Nothing. Put your shirt back on. We're heading back to the arena to catch the rest of the fights."

**IV**

The floor was finally cleaned of all the blood from the last fight. Sakura was still disturbed from the amount of blood that was spilled thanks to Gaara. She glanced over at the entrance and noticed Sasuke enter and her face lit up. Sasuke looked like the old Sasuke. Not the one that was under the spell of that cursed seal.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino yelled as she waved in his direction, causing the majority who were left to look his way, including Naruto.

After looking at him, Naruto, unlike Sakura didn't feel any reassurance that this was their same teammate. He may look like the old him, but there was still something ripping at Naruto's senses telling him there was something wrong as Sasuke walked past him.

As Sasuke walked passed Naruto he mumbled something that only Naruto could understand and hear.

"I'm still going to kill you dobe..." Sasuke mumbled. That phrase caused Naruto to freeze in his place, but not in fear but in excitement.

Kakashi shushined by the Sandaime Hokage.

"Sandaime-sama, I just had a run in with Orochimaru while healing Sasuke. He definitely has something planned." Kakashi said.

"Yes, I know. Return to your squad, I am already working on the counter measures." The Hokage replied.

Yugito walked over to Naruto and noticed he had zoned out.

"Naruto-kun, are you alright? Your name is on the board now." Yugito said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He snapped out of his trance and smiled at her before glancing to see who it was. Uzumaki Naruto and Tayuya.

'Tayuya? Who is that?' Naruto asked.

**'Looks like the kunoichi you fought with in the forest.'** Kyuubi replied.

"Huh?" Naruto said out loud as he turned his head to look directly at the red head from the forest as she looked at him.

"YOU!" Both Naruto and Tayuya yelled as they pointed at each other.

_**With all the fighting that was happening, it was very hard to see the things that were happening in the background. But everything came out in the open after my fight. I never expected that through battle, someone would find their way in life, or at least think they did. But the next set of battles would shift my life yet in another direction.**_


	12. Chapter 12: Subtle Changes

**Author's Note: Hello again! Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter. It was my highest so far; thanks for all the support. Hope I can continue to entertain you all with the later chapters to come in the future.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
Chapter Twelve: The Subtle Changes are Usually the Largest

"YOU!" Both Naruto and Tayuya yelled as they pointed at each other.

"So it seems they know each other..." Sasuke said in his usual annoyed tone.

"B-b-be c-c-areful, N-n-naruto-kun.." Hinata said in her soft tone, causing Yugito to quickly shoot her a deadly look, which Hinata matched with one of her own.

Oblivious to what was going on behind him, Naruto leaped down to floor where Tayuya had beat him to.

"I see we get to finish what we started in the forest." Naruto said as he glared at her. "Hopefully you don't run this time." Naruto continued.

"Fuck off! Don't let what went down in the fucking forest make you think I'm some pussy! I held back." Tayuya shouted.

"Cool. Because so did I." Naruto replied.

"We'll see about that, fuck head." Tayuya countered.

"Let's get this started, then." Hayate said.

**Uzumaki Naruto vs Tayuya**

"Remember the big guy you fought earlier? Well, I'm bringing him back plus two more!" She yelled as she bit three of her fingers and slammed her hand on the floor.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" She yelled as three giant zombies appeared.

"Fuck!" Naruto yelled as he was forced to evade, as the middle giant started the attack. Tayuya began to dash backwards as she began playing her flute playing controlling the giants' every move.

A feeling of despair came over Sakura as she saw what Naruto was up against. He may have beaten her in the forest, but now was a different story with her going all out.

"Well, it looks like Naruto's done for... There's no way he could win this." Ino said.

"That shows how much you don't know about Naruto. He has changed a lot since our academy days. He could even be the strongest here." Sakura said as she watched on.

"Nani? Are you alright, Sakura? There is no way he could've improved that much." Ino replied.

"Just watch and see, he'll prove you wrong. Just like how he did to me." Sakura said bringing the conversation to an end as she started to ignore Ino.

_'Prove them all wrong, Naruto.'_ Sakura said to herself.

Naruto barely managed to dodge an attack from the second giant.

**'So what are you going to do, kit?'** Kyuubi asked.

_'I'm ignoring the middle men and going directly for the source.'_ Naruto replied.

Naruto began to dash backwards gaining some distance between him and the giants.

Suddenly he stopped and pulled out one of his kunai from his coat pouch before focusing his chakra into a massive explosive as he molded his chakra with the wind. From the outside it almost looked like a giant tornado. The winds were so intense that everyone had to grip on to the rails to stop from being pulled in.

Ino couldn't believe what was happening in front of her.

"Woah... when did he get this strong?" Ino asked as she looked over at Sakura who only laughed.

Suddenly, the wind formed around Naruto's kunai creating a massive claymore like before.

"Kazeclaymore!" Naruto yelled as he now wielded a gigantic wind sword.

A smirk grew on Kushina's face as she watched her son's latest jutsu.

"Hmm... reminds me of something." Kushina said as she watched her son fight for the first time.

"Now let's play." Naruto said as he face shifted to the one of a killer. No emotion whatsoever.

He quickly charged past the closest giant, easily dodging his attacks, heading directly for Tayuya.

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask at how much Naruto had improved not only physically but mentally too.

"Smart move, Naruto." Kakashi said as it was his first time seeing Naruto fight since Wave and was greatly pleased with his progress.

Noticing that he was ignoring the giants and coming right after her, Tayuya changed her tune to something more subtle.

Suddenly Naruto's sight became cloudy as his world around him began to darken.

_'What the hell?'_ Naruto thought as his sight completely disappeared leaving him in darkness.

'What the hell happened?!' Naruto yelled. He could hear a feint cry in the distance but he couldn't recognized who it was. Suddenly he felt a heavy blow to his body that caused him to yell out in agony as his body felt like it was going burst from the pain, as his skin began to melt right off his body.

**'KIT!**' Kyuubi yelled as she finally got through to him.

_'Kyuubi?'_ Naruto asked as he tried to fight through the pain.

**'Snap out of it kit. You are trapped in a genjutsu!'** Kyuubi yelled.

The world around Naruto returned to normal as he laid on his back with blood everywhere. One of the giants had landed a direct blow to him when he was caught in her genjutsu.

**'You're going to have to think of a different plan to beat her since she's also a genjutsu expert too.**' Kyuubi said.

Naruto began to force himself up as he quickly began to run through different strategies to help him gain the upper hand.

Ino shook her head as she continued to watch Naruto's fight.

"Looks like you spoke too soon about his chances of winning." Ino said.

"What's wrong trash? Wasn't expecting that shit, huh?" Tayuya taunted.

_'Perfect plan, Kyuubi. I was saving it for Sasuke but I'll just have to change it for my battle with him.'_ Naruto said as he finally reached his feet and was able to stand up directly. He glanced over at Tayuya and her giants and smirked as he wiped the blood from his face. He quickly reached into his pocket and slung down several smoke bombs covering the arena floor, but that was not all. He began to tap into Kyuubi's chakra once again as he used the chakra to mold the air around him and push it out spreading the smoke even farther but mixed with his chakra wind making him practically invisible to those who rely on the sharingan and byakugan . Now the entire arena was blinded by the smoke.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Tayuya yelled.

After a few minutes the smoke cleared up revealing ten Narutos with Kazeclaymores in both hands and fully healed. The seals on their arms were also burning fiercely with a fiery red chakra around them that almost looked like flames.

Sasuke's eyebrows almost touched his hair as his eyes popped open.

"How is he healed?" Sasuke asked.

Kankuro was also having a hard time believing what was going on either.

"How strong is this gaki...?" Kankuro asked out loud.

"If you think you and your fucking clones going to get me this time, you have another thing coming." Tayuya said.

"Well, let's find out!" All the Narutos yelled in unison. Tayuya change the tune of her melody once again as the giants became more violent.

The closest one to the Naruto army slammed his fist into ground, creating a six foot crater, taking out two of the clones. But the attack didn't phase the others as they quickly retaliated by two of them slashing right through the legs of said giant bringing it to its knees; when two more slashed through it's body, killing it instantly.

Sakura was now seeing bits and pieces of his plan and began to smile.

"Yeah, Naruto! Two more to go!" Sakura cheered as the tides began to change in the fight.

The second giant leaped in the air and released a massive ball of fire, which was almost undodgeable, taking out several clones, but leaving itself open for an open attack. As it came crashing down, the remaining two Narutos began to rip it to pieces with their giant swords.

Now it was two on one as the last giant charged at the two. But he proved to be no threat as they easily took him out, but one of the clones was taken out by Tayuya as she launched several shuriken.

Not giving the real Naruto a chance to counter she began her genjutsu melody trapping him in it once again.

Sakura tightly gripped the rail as she recognized the melody from the last time Tayuya played it.

"No!" Sakura yelled as she knew it was over now.

Not wanting him to get a third chance to come back, Tayuya pulled out a kunai and slit Naruto's throat. Causing his blood to spray out as his body collapsed to the ground.

"Told you that you're just a waste of..."

"What was that?!" Naruto yelled but he was nowhere to be found.

"What the fuck?!" Tayuya yelled.

Suddenly five kunai were thrown in a circle around her.

"I decided I wanted to try this move I just thought of on you. Let me know what you think about it when you wake up." Naruto said. Now everybody in the arena was looking for him.

Suddenly the kunai that Naruto had thrown down henged into Naruto clones with vortexes of wind dancing around them. As Tayuya began to move the first Naruto dashed at her with blinding speed and sent a powerful kick to her back. The momentum from the attack sent her toward another who was now dashing at her and hit her with his right fist knocking her back in the other direction where the third Naruto landed another hit causing her to launch in to the air as the fourth one leaped up and sent a double handed pound to her stomach forcing her to the ground where the fifth Naruto slid under her and sent another kick to her back causing her to fly upward in the air.

"Now for the finale!" The real Naruto was hanging on one of the ceiling beams watching the entire fight from afar. He leaped down and allowed gravity to take its course as he landed right on top of Tayuya, slamming her body into the ground and a large amount of blood forcing its way up out of her body.

"Kaze Bunshin Renden!" Naruto yelled at the end of combo.

**Winner: Uzumaki Naruto**

_'Heh... He has come a long way._' Kakashi said to himself as he shushined back to where Sasuke and Sakura were.

_'Wow... Very impressive.'_ Kurenai said.

Naruto was left breathing heavily as the effects from the seals began to kick in. His arms were burning furiously. As he walked back up the steps he could barely keep his normal expression.

"Wow! Way to go, Naruto!" Sakura cheered as she greeted him. He tried to smile but collapsed to his knees, rubbing both of his arms.

"N-n-naruto-kun!" Hinata yelled as she rushed to his side.

"Y-y-you ok?" She asked as she pulled out a cup of medicine and began to rub it on his arms until she realized what she was doing an almost passed out from the shock.

"Yeah... I'm ok, Hinata...Arigatou..." Naruto said as he gave her his patented smile.

Sakura and Kushina both knew trouble was brewing and a heavy storm was about to make its way through. And just as they both mentally expected, it happened.

Yugito placed her hand on Hinata's shoulder and began to squeeze tightly, to which Hinata yelled out in pain. Grabbing her shoulder, she quickly jumped up and glared at Yugito.

"W-w-hat was that for!" Hinata yelled which was a surprise to everyone who knew her. It was the first time she had ever yelled in front of everyone if not anyone. Yugito didn't say a word as she glanced over at Naruto then back at Hinata.

Knowing where this could go Naruto forced himself up and stood in between them.

"Yugito-chan, it's ok. She was just..." Before Naruto could finish both Yugito and Hinata stepped around him and continued their stare down.

"It'd be wise of you to never over step your boundaries..." Yugito said with venom dripping off every word.

"No... It would be wise for 'you' to stick with 'your' own village." Hinata countered with just as much venom and without stuttering.

"Guys..." Naruto pleaded but things only escalated when everyone looked up at the board as it read the names of Hyuuga Hinata and Nii Yugito.

_'Fuck...'_ Naruto said mentally.

"Looks like we have a classic cat fight on our hands... Troublesome women." Shikamaru mumbled.

"Perfect.." Yugito said as she leaped to the ground quickly followed by Hinata.

**'What are you going to do kit?'** Kyuubi asked.

_'Nothing I can do, it's out of my hands now...'_ Naruto replied.

**Hyuuga Hinata vs Nii Yugito**

Before Hayate could even annouce the match, the two were already locked in a taijutsu contest. And surprisingly, it was Hinata who started the fight as she quickly shifted into her family's 'Jyuuken' stance and activating her byakugan before unleashing a barrage of attacks. The only thing stopping Hinata from landing a hit was Yugito's lightning fast reflexes. But Hinata's relentless attacks kept Yugito on the defense.

Kurenai could not believe how Hinata was fighting. She knew she always had the potential but lacked the emotional motivation to reach it. Now things were different.

"I've never seen her fight so aggressively before. Her determination to win this fight is unbelievable." Kurenai said to herself.

Hinata finally managed to land a hit on Yugito's left shoulder causing her to yell in pain, but also gave Yugito the chance to create some needed space between the two.

Not wanting her to get a chance to recover Hinata, stepped up her attack a little more as she charged in almost matching Yugito's speed. But that caused her to run right into Yugito's trap.

"Nenshou Ookawa!" Yugito yelled as she slammed her fist against the ground causing lava to erupt from it, almost catching Hinata in it.

Sakura, like Kurenai, was amazed by Hinata's determination, but she was also worried about the outcome of this match with the way they were fighting one another.

"They're trying to kill each other..." Sakura said as she looked on with a worried feeling in her stomach.

Naruto was having similar feelings as well.

_'This is not good...'_ Naruto said to himself.

Yugito decided it was time for her to use her real speed as she quickly leaped over the lava and landed a heavy kick to the side of Hinata's face, sending her body several feet in the air. Before Hinata could land, Yugito was already there, ready to continue her own combo.

Lee could not believe her speed.

"She's almost as fast as me..." Lee said as his interest in fighting her began to rise.

Naruto was the only person who had witnessed both their attacks first-hand and decided to throw in his two cents.

"I think she's faster..." Naruto said.

Hinata quickly countered by landing two punches to Yugito's chest, causing Yugito to fall to her knees; not wasting the chance, Hinata launched a foot to her face, knocking her to the ground hard.

Blood began to flow from Yugito's mouth as the internal attacks were taking their effect on her organs and chakra flow, but she was far from out of the fight.

As Hinata went in to finish her off, Yugito tapped in to the Nibi's chakra and with blazing speed was already several feet away from Hinata, going through a series of hand seals. But unlike how Naruto had an endless supply of chakra when his body tapped into the Kyuubi's chakra, the Nibi's supply was among the lowest of the nine and very limited, which could mean death for Yugito if she continued.

Hinata used her eyes to see her chakra status and noticed that the once blue chakra that was flowing through Yugito in the beginning had been replaced with a much stronger and violent purple chakra. Hinata for a moment was confused but wasn't going to allow that to stand in her way of defeating Yugito and winning her Naruto-kun back.

"Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu!" Yugito suddenly yelled as a large spiralling ball of fire rose from the lava Yugito had created earlier and homed in on Hinata as it flew towards her. Hinata's eyes allowed her to see the attack even though she wasn't facing it and dodged it easily as it crashed against the floor.

Yugito began to go through another series of hand seals as Hinata switched back to the offensive, but yet again Yugito was to fast for her as she quickly dodged Hinata's attack and dashed towards her lava pit.

"Deyueru Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu!" Yugito yelled as this time two balls of spiraling flames began to chase after Hinata.

Hinata dodged the first couple of attempts of the attacks, but Yugito this time knew what she was capable of, unlike before. Each time one of the balls swooped in and Hinata dodged, the balls would change direction before hitting the ground or each other. Suddenly Hinata had reached her limit in evading as both balls collided with her causing heavy damage to her body.

Hinata released a loud scream as the flames took hold of her body. Everybody left from Konoha's faces were filled with shock as they watch Hinata's body fall to the ground with a lifeless thud.

"Winner, Nii Yugito." Hayate called.

"Deyueru Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu!" Yugito yelled as she summoned her jutsu again to finish the job she started. Hayate glanced over at the attack but it was too fast for him to stop it.

Sakura began to panic as she watched the attack fly toward Hinata's helpless body.

"She's going to kill her! Do something Naruto!" Sakura shouted.

_'What should I do? I'm not fast enough to get there.'_ Naruto mentally said in his panic. Suddenly his arms began to burn again as the images of his sensei and his mother using the shushin jutsu in the past.

Naruto's chakra began to create wind around him with enough force to push Sakura, Ino, and Lee to the wall as he disappeared. Within that second, the same wind appeared in front of Yugito as Naruto appeared and grabbed her in a firm embrace.

"Stop it, Yugito-chan..." Naruto whispered in her ear. The jutsu was knocked to the side by Gai and Asuma while Kakashi was right behind Naruto and Yugito with his kunai out. Kurenai was tending to Hinata to make sure she was ok.

Somehow Naruto had learned how to use the shushin jutsu in time to save Yugito and Hinata. He had reached Yugito first, causing her to lose focus on controlling the jutsu and allowing the sensei enough time to deflect the attack.

"I-I-I don't want to lose you to anyone..." Yugito said as her usual emotionless facade shifted to one of sadness. An emotion she had always felt but never expressed due to her up bringing.

"Don't worry about that. I'm here to stay and no one can make me change my mind...but you." Naruto replied.

Naruto glanced up and noticed Kakashi. He was ready to take Yugito out if she wasn't stopped, but what Kakashi didn't see was the fact that Kushina was right behind him with a kunai pointed at his neck until he followed Naruto eyes.

"Kushina-san?" Kakashi asked.

"Just making sure you weren't going to do anything to harm my little Naru-chan just because he protected his little girlfriend..." Kushina said as she pulled away her kunai.

"He is my student. I wouldn't attack him..."

"You're still a part of Konoha and I don't trust this village and those affiliated to it. No matter 'whom' they were 'taught by'." Kushina interrupted as she turned her back and shushined back to her original standing position.

"Are you mad at me, Naruto-kun?" Yugito asked. Naruto shook his head and chuckled a little.

"No, even though you did get a little carried away, but it was an intense battle and those jutsu of yours are pretty cool. Too bad I'm only good with wind or I would ask you to teach me those." Naruto said. Yugito's troubles quickly washed away as she hugged him back for first time since he grabbed her.

"Gomen..." Yugito whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder before passing out from the stress her body took from using the Nibi's chakra. Luckily Naruto was already holding her. Naruto picked her up bridal style and began to walk towards where everyone else was.

**Winner: Nii Yugito**

"Since when can Naruto do that?" Ino asked. Sakura was still stuck in shock at what had happened. "And what does he see in that lunatic kunochi? And who is that older redhead?" Ino continued to ask questions that fell on deaf ears.

As Naruto reached the top his mother was there waiting as she leaned against the wall.

"You know you may have made Konoha your enemy by choosing to save her over the Hyuuga-hime." Kushina said with her eyes closed.

"At this point in time I don't really care as long as Yugito-chan is ok." He said as he sat her down against the wall and sat down beside her.

"Aren't you going to stand with the rest of Konoha?" Kushina asked him.

"I'm fine right here." Naruto replied.

The board began to shuffle through the remaining name for the eighth match as Kurenai escorted Hinata to the medical ward while the other sensei returned to their squads. By this time almost everyone's moral was completely depleted thanks to what had already transpired. Suddenly the board stopped on Aburame Shino and Rock Lee.

"YOSH!" Lee yelled as he leaped down to the floor.

"This should be an interesting fight." Tenten said to Neji who wasn't paying attention to her. He was too busy glaring at Naruto and Yugito. Even though he hated his cousin and the main branch of his family; it still didn't mean that he would allow them to die at the hands of the less worthy.

Shino took the long way down to the floor keeping the cool and calm composure that he had already held no matter the situation.

Hayate began to look over the two before starting the fight.

**Aburame Shino vs Rock Lee**

At first the two just stared at each other. Lee suddenly entered his fighting stance and placed one hand behind his back while the other was out facing Shino.

Before anyone could blink, Lee was gone, even Shino couldn't pick up on him until he received a massive kick to the side of his head, sending him crashing into the wall. Lee kept his position as his leg remained in the air where it was when he kicked Shino.

Shino forced himself up and wiped away the blood that was dripping from the gash in his head from Lee's attack. He quickly thrust both of his arms forward, releasing a swarm of insects that began to surround him.

Not wanting to wait any longer Lee used his God-like speed to appear right beside Shino and tried to send another set of kicks at him, but this time Shino's insects acted as a wall blocking every one of his attacks. Lee stopped his attack and leaped backwards to rethink his strategy. Shino took advantage of his let up and sent a wave of insects at him. Not wanting to be caught in that swarm, Lee began to evade the waves. But the more he dodged, the more it seemed that the insects were somehow multiplying.

He caught a glimpse of Shino and noticed that he was still releasing them. Suddenly one of the insects bit Lee's hand causing him to grab it. He felt a bit of his chakra leave him.

He instantly dashed to the other side of the arena away from the insects. He noticed that there where two sets of insects, the ones that would constantly attack him and the others that were guarding Shino. He had to figure out how to get Shino without the insects getting in his way.

He decided that the only way to win this fight was through the flames of youth as his confidence began to refuel his ambition. And like before, faster than anyone could see, he was gone.

Shino turned his head to the left just in time to catch another blow to his head, but this time Lee wasn't letting up. Somehow he was moving faster than even the insects could react. As Shino came close to landing on the ground, Lee was already there sending a heavy kick to his side and lifting him into the air. When Shino reached the peak of his rise, Lee was also there to send a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him crashing down onto the floor. The finishing blow was when Lee landed on him, adding to the damage that was already done to his body.

Hayate walked over to examine Shino and realized he was unconscious and announced Lee the winner.

**Winner: Rock Lee**

"YOSH!" Lee yelled as he pranced around.

"And that's the end of Kurenai's squad. It was unfortunate that all of her genin were faced with some of the stronger fighters." The Sandaime said out loud.

The two sound nin that were left from Tayuya's team remained quiet as all the fights happened. Suddenly a snake appeared around Kimimaro's foot giving him the signal that he and Sakon should return to the village and take Tayuya as well.

As they headed for the exit an ANBU leaped in front of them.

"Where are you going?" The ANBU asked.

"Our Sensei does not feel this is the right time for us to compete with such a high level of talent and thinks it is not in our best interest to be here." Kimimaro said.

The ANBU thought it over and then decided to let them leave. After they exited he decided to inform the Hokage immediately.

"Sandaime-sama, the team from Otogakure has retired." One of the ANBU said to him.

"Nani? What is the reason?" The Sandaime asked.

"Their Sensei feels that it is not in their best interest to stay here and compete." The ANBU replied.

"Hmm... Interesting. Very well, then." The Sandaime said. The ANBU bowed and shushined off. The Sandaime glanced at where the sound nin were and noticed they had already left. He couldn't help but think that was a dark sign for what was to come with the constant interactions of Orochimaru.

The board began to shuffle through the names again as Yugito finally regained consciousness.

"You ok, Yugito-chan?" Naruto asked. She looked up at him and nodded her head.

"Good, I was beginning to worry about you." Naruto said as he smiled. He glanced over at the board and saw his teammate Sakura and Tenten names appear on the board. He started to get up to watch her, but felt Yugito's hand pull him back down as she wrapped one of her arms around him as she rested her head on his chest. Not wanting to disturb her, he decided to let her have her way.

**Haruno Sakura vs Tenten**

Sakura was the first to reach the floor with Tenten quickly behind her. Sakura glanced back up to see if Sasuke and Naruto were watching. She noticed Sasuke but could not find Naruto.

"Are you two ready?" Hayate asked. Both kunoichi nodded as he stood back.

Even though she was somewhat disappointed that Naruto wasn't watching her fight, she knew she still had to win. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she was the only one not to make it to the final exam out of the three. Even though she knew she couldn't beat them at her current level, she knew she stood a chance now unlike in the beginning, where she was only obsessed with Sasuke and didn't know what it really meant to be a shinobi. Not until she saw Naruto grow into one right before her eyes.

She smiled as she pulled her forehead protector over her eyes and entered her strange stance. With her other senses kicking in, now she could hear the mumbling among the other shinobi talking about her strange style. This caused her to smirk a little as she, along with her teammates, would forever be separated from the rest of the rookie nine after these chuunin exams were complete.

Hayate gave the signal for them to start and Tenten was the first to begin. Not wanting to underestimate Sakura because of her strange style, Tenten pulled out one of her larger scrolls and slung it open, revealing around twenty different weapons at her disposal. She quickly grabbed them all and began to launch them at Sakura.

Thanks to Sakura's new jutsu, she was more than ready for Tenten's attacks as she easily deflected them all with her kunai. Tenten then released another barrage of weapons at Sakura, who yet again deflected them all without breaking a sweat.

Sakura knew she could do this all day but this still left her at a somewhat disadvantage. Even if she was able to stop all Tenten's attacks, that still left too much of a distance between the two for her to be able to retaliate. She would have to figure out some kind of way to get closer to Tenten to allow her jutsu to take affect.

At this time Tenten was starting to get a little flustered, she could not understand how Sakura could block all her attacks without even be able to see them. It almost felt like she was sparring with Neji. She suddenly pulled two more scrolls and yanked them open. She leaped into the air and began to unleash a massive barrage of weapons coming from almost every angle.

Sakura instantly picked up on all the weapons and began to block them all as she tried to figure out a way to get closer to Tenten. Suddenly it hit her as she blocked the last weapon. She pulled up her forehead protector, because Tenten was out of her range of sense, and began to charge at Tenten as she descended to the ground with both her kunai in her hand. Tenten quickly pulled out a kunai of her own to counter Sakura's attack. But what Sakura did next threw everyone off.

"Sakura Kusari Hoippu no Jutsu!" Sakura yelled as she launched both kunai at Tenten, but at the end of each kunai was a pink chain of chakra. The chains wrapped around Tenten trapping her as Sakura moved in for the finishing move. She slid her forehead protector back down and instantly the chakra around her and the chakra chain she'd created began to emit the genjutsu like waves she'd used in the forest.

Tenten's mind went completely blank as Sakura released her chains and began to unleash a massive combo of punches and kicks to Tenten's body, knocking her out cold.

Hayate declared Sakura the winner after watching how Tenten's body fell to the ground without any effort to catch itself.

Naruto heard Hayate annouce Sakura the winner and decided to stand up to show her that he was happy for her. Knowing why he wanted to, Yugito this time did not tug on him to stay with her.

Sakura could not believe that she had just won and how easy it was. She pulled her forehead protector back up to see both her teammates looking down at her.

'Hope you guys didn't think I was just going to watch your backs forever.' She said mentally with a large smile on her face.

**Winner: Haruno Sakura**

"So that's what the new Sakura is capable of?" Naruto said out loud as he sat back down beside Yugito.

"What the hell are you doing hanging out with the enemy for such a long time!" Ty yelled as she came storming over to where Yugito and Naruto were.

"Just leave her alone for now. Just consider this payment for what happened earlier in the forest. You guys still owe me." Naruto said with a large grin of his face.

"Owe you! We had to work even harder thanks to you!" Ty yelled.

"I'm staying with him." Yugito said with almost no emotion in her voice.

"Nani?!" Ty yelled.

"Yugito-chan?" Naruto questioned as he look at her.

"I no longer care about my ties with Kumogakure and sever them. Now I will only follow one person." Yugito said as she glanced up at Naruto with a genuine smile on her face. Naruto did not know what to say about this certain turn of events.

"What the hell do you think this is, weapon?!" Ty yelled again. She was now more than furious at her teammate and it was made obvious by how red her face became.

Yugito rose up and glared directly into Ty's eyes. She reached up and untied her forehead protector and handed it to her.

"I do not wish to kill you Ty-san, but if you try to force me to leave then I will have no other choice." Yugito said as she began to release her monstrous killer intent that cause everyone to look their way. Naruto quickly jumped up and placed his hand on Yugito's shoulder.

Knowing she was not strong enough to face Yugito if she was serious or her blonde boyfriend, Ty decided to do the wise thing and retreat with the now abandoned forehead protector.

Aoi had overhead the entire conversation, but decided not to intervene. She knew eventually either Yugito would leave or Naruto would join them. She could not blame her for choosing the former with the way she was treated. And judging by how Naruto had been the only reason she was still alive right now after her fight with the Hyuuga, she felt comfortable knowing that Yugito was in the right hands. She would have rushed in to save her even if it was going to all end up in vain. Luckily Naruto's mother was strong enough to sway the side to cooler heads.

As Ty stormed back to where her team was, she couldn't help but to think how would she put Yugito in her place. She'd rather Yugito be dead than an enemy and she was thinking of ways this could come true.

The board quickly went through the remaining names and stopped on Sabaku no Temari and Akimichi Choji.

"Looks like it's your time sis." Kankuro said as he grinned at his sister.

"About time…" Temari said as she walked down the steps to the arena floor. Choji, on the other hand, was in a somewhat good mood. He thought he had luck in his favor thanks to who he was matched up with.

He quickly ran down to the arena floor and was ready to get his victory meal started. Temari noticed the familiar glint he wore in his eyes and frowned.

"You better hope you survive this match because I am going to kill you for underestimating me." Temari announced, obviously aggravated by being looked down for being a woman.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go!" Choji yelled with a large bout of confidence.

"Just to crush your male pride I will crush you with one attack." Temari said with a sinister look on her face.

With that Hayate gave the signal to begin the next match.

**Sabaku no Temari vs Akimichi Choji**

Temari leaped into the air and pulled out her two large wind fans and began to spin in the air. Choji watched on in amusement as he braced himself for her attack. The wind around her began to pick up as she continued to spin.

"Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!" Temari yelled as a wind blade sent from her giant fans were sent towards Choji as tried he tried to dodge, but he wasn't fast enough. He caught the jutsu head on causing the jutsu to create painful gashes all over his body.

Blood began to pour from his cuts as he tried to forced himself to remain standing, but pretty soon the lack of blood flowing through his body caused him to pass out, naming Temari the winner.

**Winner: Sabaku no Temari**

The jutsu Temari used caught Naruto's eye. He and Kyuubi instantly began to plot together the means for a new jutsu.

Now there were only four genin left to fight as everybody's intention instantly went up to the board.

The final names began to scramble on the board until it stopped on Yamanaka Ino and Sakuci Ty.

Ino glanced over her opponent and the people that who could've been her opponent and released a large of sigh of relief. Unlike her teammate, she was not being over confident, she just knew she held a better chance of winning by facing Ty than the other sand nin.

Both kunoichi landed on the arena floor at the same time. Ino moved her hair to the side and put on the most serious face she had ever made. She could not allow Sakura to out do her here. This fight was no longer about Sasuke, but about her pride.

"First I would like to apologize to you ahead of time." Ty said. "Normally I would have fought you like an opponent on equal level, but since several things have happened that have really pissed me off, I only have you to release my anger on." Ty continued.

"What are you saying?" Ino said with a confused look on her face.

"Kaden no Jutsu!" Ty yelled as sparks began to fly around her body until electricity became visible as it flowed around her body. "It means I'm going all out." Ty said as her once brown iris eyes shifted to a cold silver.

It had been awhile since Lei had seen Ty use this jutsu.

"She must really be pissed to unleash this jutsu so early in the game." Lei said to Aoi who at the time was concentrating on what her next moves will be since the 'weapon' had abandoned the village. She definitely would be held accountable for her defect from the village and most likely killed. She only nodded her response to Lei.

"Let's begin, then." Hayate said as he backed up.

**Yamanaka Ino vs Sakuci Ty**

Even though Ty's jutsu looked powerful, Ino was not about to give up just because of a little light show. She braced herself for anything as she entered a defensive stance. But as she glanced up she noticed that Ty was gone.

"Huh?" Ino said.

"Looking for me?" Ty said as she appeared beside Ino and sent a heavy kick to Ino's head, but Ino managed to block the attack. Then Ty's jutsu took its effect shocking Ino and sending bolts through her body. Ino forced herself away from Ty's foot as she collapsed to the ground.

Sakura bit down on her bottom lip as she watched her former best friend go though such pain.

"Ino's in trouble." Sakura said as she gripped the rail.

"Looks that way..." Shikamaru said.

"Don't you care?!" Sakura asked.

"Of course I do, the real question is why do you? Since you guys pretty much hate each other..." Shikamaru said in his lazy tone as he mentally fought back the urge to intervene. He cared more than anyone else did, he just chose not to reveal that fact.

"Well..." Sakura tried to say but Shikamaru stopped her as he turned back to the fight.

After coughing up a spit of blood, Ino tried to force herself back to her feet.

"It'd be better if you stay down so I don't have to kill you. I'm trying to be as nice as possible despite how pissed off I am now." Ty said as she knelt down beside Ino as she tried to get up.

Ino just ignored Ty's warning as she forced her way back to her knees.

"Look, I admire you courage but this is not the time to act all tough. I'm doing my best to hold back but if you stand back up, I will kill you because you are really starting to add to my pissed off mood." Ty said as she narrowed her eyes and began to glare at Ino. "So just give up, ok? My anger is meant for another blonde or blondes." Ty said as she glared up at the direction of where Yugito and Naruto were.

Ino answered her question by trying to stab at her with a kunai. Ty leaped back just in time to dodge the attack, but it only enraged her further.

"That's it! The more I try to sympathize with you leaf nin, the more you just piss me off!" Ty yelled.

She suddenly appeared behind Ino and began to unleash a massive combo of punches and kicks on Ino's body which alone in Ino's condition was painful to watch, but when you added the electricity to each blow, it just made them horrifying.

It got to the point where Hayate had called the match, but Ty continued her rampage on Ino's body. Even though she was now unconscious, she still refused to go down, which infuriated Ty even more.

Shikamaru could barely contain himself and was about to rush down there to his teammates aid, until one pink haired kunoichi beat him to the point.

In no time, Sakura was down on the floor with her forehead protector over her eyes and her best friend in her arms. She had moved so quickly that Ty didn't even realize Ino was gone until she blinked.

Ty glanced over at the leaf sensei and notice they were ready to move next. Yet again she decided to let it go, she would only add it to her 'things to do, people to kill' list that was already growing at a rapid rate.

Sakura quickly handed Ino over to the medics as they came to get her. Ino's body was still smoking from the amount of electricity that was sent through it. Her once long and beautiful hair was now singed. Sakura pulled her forehead protector back up and began to search for Ty with her eyes. As soon as she found them, Ty managed to look down at her. When their eyes met, flames were created as it almost felt like they were trying to kill each other with just their eyes.

A smirk grew across Ty's face as she turned her back and began to talk with Lei.

"Let it go, Sakura, for now at least." Kakashi said catching her off guard. She literally jumped when he said her name. He had raced down after her to make sure she didn't get herself disqualified for the third exam. But when he realized that she only was trying to save her friend he quickly backed away. "Come on, let's go back up." Kakashi said with his smiling eye.

**Winner: Sakuci Ty**

The two remaining fighters jumped to the floor without being called. It was Tsuchi Kin and Sabaku no Kankuro. Everybody was anxious to get this fight out of the way so they could see who would actually have to fight again.

Suddenly Kin saw something in the shadows of the arena floor. She focused on it even more until she realized what or who it was. It was an image of Orochimaru that was only meant for her to see.

_'Forfeit the match.'_ Where the words that the image mouthed. Kin recognized them clearly.

**Tsuchi Kin v. Sabaku no Kankuro**

Kankuro began to reach for the strange object he wore on his back when Kin did something that was very unexpected. She bowed her head and forfeited, before running off leaving everyone in a state of surprise. Now there was three shinobi from Otogakure who had forfeited and no one knew the reason why.

**Winner by Default: Sabaku no Kankuro**

Everybody was left almost speechless until the questions began to come from all angles. Finally the rest had realized that there were more genin at first and now they were left with many questions that needed to be answered.

Suddenly the Sandaime cleared his throat loud enough to get everyone's attention long enough for him to speak.

"I understand that everyone is confused, but the situation is still under control." The Sandaime Hokage said. Suddenly a different ANBU from the last time approached the Hokage and whispered in his ear. The Hokage took a puff from his pipe as he glanced over Yugito and nodded his head.

"We will continue with our original plan, but only this time we will have one more to fight now. Unfortunately Nii-san has been disqualified due to the fact that she no longer has a village that she is affiliated with and after the chuunin exams will become a nuke nin." The Sandaime Hokage said.

"NANI! That's bull shit, ojii-san!" Naruto yelled as he leaped down to the floor and charged to where the Hokage was. Several ANBU stood in front of Naruto before he reached him, though.

"Naruto... You know there is no way I can allow her to continue when she has no village, which defeats the purpose for her even being in the chuunin exams. The whole point of these exams is to become a chuunin, which is impossible without a village." The Sandaime said.

"Then add her to Konoha! You know as well as I do how much of an asset she would be to the village!" Naruto argued back which to a lot of the shinobi who didn't know his relationship with the Hokage thought it was absurd and signing his own death warrant.

"Naruto!" The Hokage yelled which caused Naruto to shut up. "Due to the relationship, or lack of one, with Kumogakure, taking her in as an official shinobi of Konohagakure would lead to another war between our villages. Gomen, Naruto but she is not worth another Great Shinobi War." The Sandaime Hokage said.

Naruto was furious with his the Hokage's answers but knew that at this point it was pointless to argue. Naruto turned around and caught a glimpse of Yugito's smile which instantly calmed him down.

Yugito was slowly growing closer to Naruto the more he attempted to protect her. She no longer cared about the chuunin exams, not that she ever did, the only thing she cared about was Naruto and protecting him. No matter the outcome, she now had the resolve to follow him to the end of the earth and back.

"Hey, baka! Where the hell do you think you're going? I need to kill you now!" A voice shouted from behind him. Naruto glanced around to see who was talking to him and noticed it was Yugito's former teammate.

"Who are you again?" Naruto asked with a confused look on his face.

"You're a murderer. If you want my name for the fourth time look at the board." Lei said.

Naruto sighed and glanced up at the board to see his name and Ulio Lei.

_'So I am the lucky one who gets to fight again, eh?'_ Naruto mentally said.

**'Looks that way, kit. Be careful, this guy really hates you.**' Kyuubi said.

Naruto turned around and glared at him. Lei glared back at him as the two began a fierce stare down that was only matched by the massive killer intent they released at one another.

"And after I kill you, I will kill that traitor whore of yours as well. The perfect end for a broken weapon I would say." Lei said. That really got under Naruto's skin as a massive amount of chakra exploded from around him as the seals on his arms began to blaze with fire again. But this time the blaze was covered in a blue hue. The pupils in his eyes shifted to slit ones resembling a kitsune.

The amount of chakra he was releasing caught Gaara's, Sasuke's, and Neji's complete attention along with the jonin as well. Kushina finally lifted herself off the wall to see what her son was truly capable of.

"This time I will kill you... I am not going easy on you like last time." Naruto said as the wind around him began to form a cloak of wind that encased him, fitting his form perfectly.

"Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as the jutsu was completed.

"Good. Because I want to make sure I kill you when you are at your strongest." Lei said as he began to focus all his chakra into his gauntlets.

**Final Battle: Uzumaki Naruto v. Ulio Lei**

Before Hayate could start the fight both Naruto was already going at each other.

"Kyoushin!" Lei yelled as he launched a punch at Naruto who dodged the attack. Lei let his fist continue on till it landed on the floor, creating a massive crater in its wake. A lot of the other genin gasped at the raw power of the attack, but Naruto's face was unchanged. He still wore his pissed off expression as he sent a powerful kick to Lei's side, sending him crashing into the wall.

Lei quickly shook off the attack and dashed toward Naruto at speeds that he didn't expect Lei to have, but he still managed to not only dodge Lei's blow but he grabbes his wrist and slammed him head first into the ground, completely bloodying his face.

Lei was far from out as he quickly punched the ground, sending a shockwave towards Naruto, knocking him off balance, breaking his guard and giving Lei enough time to take advantage of Naruto's situation; finally landing a solid punch to Naruto's body. The wind around Naruto's body began to spin rapidly like a tornado as Lei punch hit its mark. As Lei pulled his fist back he felt sharp pains in it thanks to Naruto's wild jutsu, but he had achieved his goal. One blow should've been enough to wipe anyone out.

Naruto's body went crashing into the wall creating another hole. Everyone flinched except the jonin, Kushina, and Yugito. They knew what really happened.

Lei turned his back and began to walk towards Hayate when he suddenly collapsed to one knee from agonizing pain. He glanced down at his fist and finally noticed the amount of blood that was literally pouring from it. Naruto's strange wind jutsu had not only defended him from the bulk of the attack but also ripped apart the tendons of Lei hands.

Lei glanced over behind him and saw Naruto standing up with blood dripping from his mouth. Lei's anger had now reached its boiling point as he went completely berserk, he dashed directly towards Naruto. The blond's smile broke through his stoic face as Lei's healthy hand landed a direct hit, creating a large explosion.

When the dust cleared, the only thing left was Lei as he began to laugh insanely.

But he instantly stopped when he realized something. He slowly turned around to see three Naruto's henge from the rubble created from the attack.

Ty knew Naruto was a master of surprise attacks and would never reveal himself that easily unless it was bait.

"LEI!" Ty yelled as she realized what Naruto's was planning but it was already too late. In Lei's berserk state, he could not hear anything besides his own heart beat.

As he was focusing on the three in front of him, he didn't notice the last two clones that sent their Kazekatana through his body. As blood began to spew from his body, Lei still tried to struggle.

"LEI NO!!" Ty yelled as she rushed to her fallen teammate but she was stopped by Yugito as she landed in front of her.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OUT OF THE WAY!!" Ty yelled but Yugito remained steady, refusing to let her go anywhere.

The two Narutos pulled out their Kazekatana and four of the five disappeared in a puff of smoke as Lei finally collapsed in a puddle of his own blood finally breathing his last breath.

Hayate announced Naruto the winner as Naruto pulled off his bloody jacket and laid it on the ground. Yugito finally allowed Ty to go as she herself rushed over to Naruto to check up on him.

Aoi shushined over to Lei's dead body as Ty finally made it over. The sight of her dead bloody teammate caused her to collapse to her knees in a fit of tears.

As she looked over at her dead student an idea entered Aoi's mind on how she could escape her own fate.

"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" Yugito asked. Naruto nodded as he finally returned to his normal self and relaxed his body. Yugito placed her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

As the medics came in to pick up, Lei's body, the Hokage signalled for everyone to come forth.

Naruto wasn't in much of a mood for moving due the pain his body was going through at the time. Yugito chose to stay by his side.

As everybody made it down, the Hokage cleared his throat.

"First of, I would like to honor all those who are still remaining and will continue on to the third and final exam. As I said before, that exam will be held in front of a crowd so we will give you a month to prepare and heal. The third exam will be held in a tournament style, but winning your fight does not guarantee your promotion in rank to chuunin, and losing does not cause you to lose your chance either. Winning only guarantees you another opportunity to showcase your abilities to be leaders. As your attention turns to the board you will see who will fight who in the first round as I say them." As everyone turned to glance at the board almost everyone was shocked about the outcome.

"The first match will be between Haruno Sakura of Konohagakure and Sakuci Ty of Komogakure." The Hokage stated. Sakura glanced over at Ty, whose eyes were still red from the amount of tears she had wept over Lei.

"The second match will be between Hyuuga Neji of Konohagakure and Rock Lee of Konohagakure." The Hokage added. Lee's body instantly tensed up as he realized who he was fighting. He finally would get the chance to defeat his rival. He began to clench his fists in anticipation.

"The third match will be Nara Shikamaru of Konohagakure and Sabaku no Kankuro of Sunagakure." The Hokage continued.

"Great... This couldn't be any more troublesome." Shikamaru yawned.

"The forth match will be Uchiha Sasuke of Konohagakure and Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure." The Hokage said.

Everybody in Team Kakashi was caught off guard with that announcement. It hit Sakura the most, she of all people did not want those two to fight. They were the two closest people to her besides her mother, and she was always the reason they didn't fight. Now, they were allowed to fight all out and she was sure that one of the two was going to die.

Naruto, on the other hand, was filled with excitement and also fear. He finally could prove himself to the whole village who he really was by defeating 'their' prodigy. But on the other hand, he was fighting the village's prodigy. Sasuke had always been a step ahead of him and this would definitely be the toughest fight he would likely ever have.

"And the final battle will be between Sabaku no Gaara and Sabaku no Temari." The news were terrifying to Temari. Even if he was her younger brother, he still was insane enough to kill her if he wanted. No matter how much she did not want to, she would have to forfeit the victory to him and try again during the next exams.

"With that out of the way, you are all now dismissed. I look forward to seeing how much you have improved during the final exam." The Sandaime Hokage said.

_**Even today, it's still hard for me to believe that some how I survived all those battles and came out on top. Now I was about to enter a thirty-day training period where I still would not be able to relax. But this time was also when I had my largest improvement in my abilities as a ninja.**_

**Chapter Twelve Translations:  
- ****Kaze Bunshin Renden** Wind Clone Combo (Direct Translation) User creates five clones performing the Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu and attack their opponents in five different angles with the real one finishing the opponent off by landing on top of them.  
- **Nenshou Ookawa**: Lava River (Direct Translation) The user slams their fist into the ground and pumps chakra fused with fire causing the ground in front of them to melt into lava.  
- **Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu**: The Art of Volcanic Spiral Hunter (Direct Translation) User summons a massive amount of lava from an already created fire source and that rapidly spines to contain the heat from within. The user then controls the attack using their chakra control to chase/hunt for their opponent during battle.  
- **DeyueruKazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu**: The Art of the Dual Volcanic Spiral Hunter (Direct Translation)  
- **Sakura Kusari Hoippu no Jutsu**: The Art of the Cherry Blossom Chained Whip (Direct Translation) User emits a pink wave of chakra attached to their kunai. When combined with a genjutsu can be twice as effective.  
- **Kaden no Jutsu**: The Art of Electric Spark (Direct Translation) The user body is covered in an electric field that shocks everything they touch.  
- **Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu**: Wind Release: The Air of Wind Cloak (Direct Translation) User releases chakra from everyone of their chakra points at a constant rate and molds with wind around them forming a barrier that takes the shape of their body.


	13. Chapter 13: The Calm

**Author Notes: Yet again thanks for all the reviews. Almost at the century mark and I didn't think I would get this close '. Thanks for all the support you guys have given me. Also sorry about forgetting to add the translation from the last chapter; I will place them right here and try to remember to keep adding them.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
Chapter Thirteen: The Calm

_**I knew I would have a lot of training to do once I got through and the second exam was officially over. I still couldn't believe my luck. Me and Sasuke in the first round against one another. On the one hand, I was very excited; I could finally prove to everyone that I was meant to be their Hokage. But on the other hand was the fact that Sasuke was never a push over; and with his Sharingan eyes at stage two, it would make things very difficult to fight against when I could barely defend myself against shinobi who used genjutsu. The next thirty days would be hell for me.**_

"You alright, Naruto?" Sakura-chan asked as we finally exited the forest as a team, with the addition of Yugito. There still was the question of where she was going to stay since she was now a nuke nin.

"Yeah... I'm ok... Where's the teme?" I asked as I realized that he was no longer with us, and nor was Kakashi-sensei.

"Oh... They left to train already." Sakura-chan said.

"Nani?! Already?! And he chose him over us!" I yelled as frustration began to build up within me. I was already the underdog in this fight yet Kakashi-sensei chose to abandon me for the prodigy. I would have gotten over it quicker if it was for the fact that he had also abandoned Sakura-chan too. And without a word as well.

"Yeah, I know." Sakura-chan replied as she glanced down toward the ground.

"So, what are we going to do about our own training?" I said already knowing the answer to my own question, but did not want to reveal it to her.

"I have someone who is willing to train me. He has already helped me a lot with creating my new jutsu and fighting styles." Sakura-chan replied.

"I see... Well, that's good." I said.

During this time Yugito-chan was very quiet. I didn't know her reason for this, but I could only guess that she was thinking about what she was going to do now since she was a nuke-nin.

"Oh, that reminds me. Yugito, you can stay with me until we figure something out about your living arrangements." Sakura-chan said as she literally leaped in front of Yugito-chan startling us both.

Yugito stared at Sakura-chan for few seconds as if she was considering the offer. She then bowed her head with a huge blush forming across her face.

"Gomen, Sakura-san, but I wish to stay with Naruto-kun until he makes his decision about his stay in the village." Yugito replied with her face still facing the ground.

I felt my cheeks heat up as her statement nailed its way into my mind.

"M-m-e a-a-and you living under the s-s-ame roof?" I forced out trying to make sure I understood her correctly. She glanced up at me and nodded her reply as her face grew even redder.

I looked at Sakura-chan and noticed that she was loving this.

"Ooooh! Wow, Yugito you move fast, don't you?" Sakura-chan teased as she walked up to Yugito-chan. Not wanting to disappoint Yugito-chan, I decided to not dispute it. Plus, after I thought about it for a second I felt more comfortable with her staying with me than anyone else. Especially if word got out that she no longer affiliated with Kumo. The Hyuuga clan could put a hit out for her then.

No, I knew I wasn't strong enough to fend off an experienced Hyuuga, but at least we together could stand a better chance than her alone.

"It's not what you think, Sakura-chan." I said as I regained my composure.

"Suuuuurrreeeee." Sakura-chan said as she winked at me and ran off. I sighed to myself as I looked over at Yugito-chan who was still blushing and smiled. She rose up and smiled back which almost drove me crazy. She really should smile more because she was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

"Hungry?" I asked her. I would figure out what I was going to do about my training later. Today I would spend the rest of with Yugito-chan.

"Just tired. Need to rest." Yugito-chan said. I nodded as I suddenly remember the two hard fought battles I had just went through. I seriously needed a rest as well and sleep was looking very good right about then.

"Ok, then, let's just head back to my place then." I said as I started to walk forward. She gently grabbed my arm and rested her head on my shoulder. I stopped and looked at her which I could tell made her nervous.

"Gomen, Saw other couples do that in Kumogakure and thought..."

"It's ok, Yugito-chan. We can do that too if you want." I said as I smiled at her. She returned her head to that position as we began to walk back to my place.

As we walked down the many streets of Konoha, I could feel the many stares and glares we received. At first I was worried about how Yugito would react to their scrutiny. But she didn't even flinch at all. That was when I realized that she most likely had been going through the same things I've been through all my life.

After a few more turns and a few more villagers yelling at us, we were finally home. I was more than surprised to see that my apartment did not have the usual red graffiti that said "demon" or "leave now". Instead it was the exact same way it was before I left it.

As I searched through my pockets for my keys I began to hear strange sounds coming from within my apartment. Something told me to try just opening the door. As I turned the knob that door began to slowly open as the sweet aroma of food began to tickle my senses.

"Who's here?!" I asked as I entered my apartment. Suddenly the last and at the same time the first person, after I thought about it, was standing in my small kitchen cooking up a storm.

"Naru-chan! What took you so long to get home?" My mom asked me. I sighed because I seriously could not stand that nickname of hers. "And I see you brought company as well." She continued.

"She will be staying with me until we figure things out." I said as I pulled my coat off and tossed it on my couch.

"Looks like it's going to get a little crowded around here, but I'm more than happy to have her stay here." She said as she walked back into the kitchen. It took me a minute for it to register to me.

"Hey! You're staying here too?!" I asked.

"Well you did invite me to stay with you. And it's only till you make your mind up." She replied.

I released a loud sigh as I literally fell on my couch and before I knew it I was fast asleep.

**II**

"You're not turning into a lazy bum, are you?" A very familiar voice asked me. I quickly opened my eyes and rose up. I was expecting to see my living room, but instead I was greeted with the images of a dark tunnel dripping with water. I began to look around to see where that voice had come from.

"Do I sound that different when we are in person compared to when I'm in your head, kit?" Kyuubi said as she walked up from behind. I quickly turned around as I realized it was her. Her hair color had slightly changed from pure silver to white with silver and grayish blue highlights.

"Where are we?" I ask as I rose back to my feet.

"The empty void known as your brain, told you that you were a baka." Kyuubi teased as she turned around and began to walk down the tunnel.

"Ha ha ha, funny." I said in a sarcastic tone as I began to follow her.

"This is actually the deepest part of your subconscious. I normally don't tread in this part of your mind, but lately I have been investigating a few things which lead me to this part." Kyuubi said as she continued to walk.

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a confused look on my face. She stopped walking and looked directly at me.

"Remember earlier when I told you that our chakra flow is slowly becoming one?" She paused as she watched me nod my head. "Well I discovered that's not the only issue at hand. During that fight with that cloud nin, you not only tapped into my chakra supply again, but my personality as well." She said as she began walking again.

"I don't understand. You're still confusing me." I said as I jogged to catch up with her. When I caught up I notice that she was staring at something.

"Answer my..." I started to say until I saw what she was looking at. The tunnel we were in stood over a field, a field of burning flames that looked like we were standing at the gates of hell looking in. She turned toward me as I looked up at her.

"We are slowly becoming one...this fire represents my subconscious. The first time I travelled here the tunnel continued on past this, but now a hole has been ripped between our two minds and the two are slowly flowing into one another. If I do not figure out an answer to this problem... Uzumaki Naruto and Vulpes Regina will be no more. Our personality and persona would no longer exist." Kyuubi said as she looked back at the raging fire.

"Regina...?" I asked as I stared at her.

"Yes, that is my real name. Kyuubi is a name that mortals gave me because of my physical traits. I wasn't created by men, so you should've known that wasn't my real name." She said as she glared at me.

"Gomen... It makes sense." I said. "So what are we going to do about this situation?" I asked as I turned my back to her and began to walk toward the direction we came from. "And how much time do we have until 'it' happens?" I continued.

"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out... hopefully." That last bit came out as a mumble. I sighed as the thought passed through my head that the real me could no longer exist in the near future.

**III**

"Naruto-kun... Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun!" Yugito called out to me snapping me out of my deep sleep.

"Is everything ok?" I asked in a frantic voice.

"Yes. Dinner is ready." She said as she looked over me. I sighed a little as my heart rate returned to its normal pace.

"I figured you would like ramen since your father was in love with it almost as much as he was with me. So I made my special dish." My mom said as she placed a bowl on my table for me before making her own.

I rose up and yawned as I stretched out my arms and walked toward the table. Yugito had already taken a seat and was waiting for me to eat before she started.

I grabbed a pair of chop sticks, pulled them apart and took bite. In that moment, I instantly forgot all about my troubles as I sank into the endless clouds of heaven. Her ramen was even better than the ramen from Ichiraku.

"Arigatou!" I said as I began to consume the rest of the food. I heard Yugito-chan release a giggle at my expense. After about seven more bowls I was full and back on my couch. My mom walked in with Yugito-chan behind and sat on the edge of my couch.

"How long have you had control over your wind affinity?" My mom asked me. I glanced up at the ceiling as I thought about it for a moment.

"Several weeks now. Why do you ask?" I said as my eyes began to close as I slowly drifted in and out of sleep.

"Just wondering, I decided that I will take over your training for the next thirty days with Yugito-san, and the help of one more person." She said as she tossed a scroll on my stomach, causing me to jump in surprise.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Anima." She replied with a smile on her face.

"Anima?" I repeated as I looked up at her with a blank confused expression.

"It's my sword... The one you saw me wield in the forest." She said.

"Why are you giving me this?" I asked as I rubbed my hand over the scroll. The scroll had the same swirl design that I wore on the back of my coat surrounded by an ocean shade of blue with wave symbols placed on its sides. The scroll was probably one of the largest scrolls I've seen in person. It was about as long and wide as my arm.

"Consider it an apology gift for not being there when you needed me the most." She said as she hugged me. I remained quiet during the hug because I did not know what to say.

"But you are not ready to wield it just yet." She said as she released me from the hug and gave me a serious look.

"This sword is a special sword. It is extremely heavy to those who do not know how to wield it and extremely light to those who do. It also drains from your chakra supply to help fuel its wind affinity. To an inexperienced user, the sword could possibly drain all their chakra, leaving them dead. You will not wield this sword until I give you permission." She said in a very stern voice. I nodded my reply as I glanced up at her.

"I will personally train you in that field." She said as she smiled again.

"Who is this third person who's going to help me with my training?" I asked.

"You will find out tomorrow. He is a great shinobi and even trained your father." she said. My jaw almost hit the floor at her remark. Who needed Kakashi-sensei when you have a great shinobi as your sensei. I began to think that tides of my fight with Sasuke were beginning to shift my way.

"Now get some rest. You're going to need it tomorrow." She said as she winked at me and entered my room.

Of course I didn't care that she had practically broke into my apartment and kicked me out of my own room. I was just glad that I now had people I could actually call 'family' living with me.

I glanced down at the floor and noticed my mom had laid a mat and a blanket down when I wasn't looking. There was no doubt that she was extremely good at being a shinobi. I smiled to myself as I laid down on the mat and pulled the covers over me... Then it hit me.

"Where are you going to sleep..." I started to say until I notice her slip under the covers on the other side of the mat. My face instantly began to heat up as I quickly leaped out from under the covers.

"Go-go-gomen, Yugito-chan!" I said as I bowed. I guessed she didn't even think about it until I said something judging by how quickly her face complexion matched mine when I jumped.

"Uh... it's ok, Naruto-kun... we can share the mat...I trust you..." She said as she glanced at me. I started to get up but she grabbed my wrist like she did during the preliminaries. I looked down at her and noticed that her eyes were pleading with me to stay. So despite my bashfulness, I slid back under the covers, face still blood red. That night we slept facing different directions, but it still felt like our bond grew even stronger.

Even though my body was already fully recovered from the beating it had taken during the exams, my mind was another issue entirely. Thanks to that fact, I was the last one to wake up, but it was still very early. The sun hadn't even risen yet.

I opened my eyes to the sight of Yugito-chan standing right over me.

"Yugito-chan...?" I asked as I yawned.

"Kushina-san wanted me to wake you up to begin your training." Yugito-chan said. I nodded as if I agreed to her command but quickly fell back to sleep as my head hit the mat. Suddenly my peaceful sleep was ended in one of the worst ways possible. I went from being comfortably dry to soaked with water.

"WHAT THE..." I started to say but my mom placed her finger over my mouth.

"Manners, Naru-chan. I am your mother after all and you will show respect to me." Suddenly her playful expression switched to one of a cold blooded killer. "Did I make myself clear, Naru-chan?" She finished with the same scary expression but with a smile at the end. I nodded quickly with my own expression being one of pure fear.

"Good. Now get up and get dressed. Training starts in thirty minutes." She said as I jumped up and ran towards the bathroom. After a quick shower, I threw on some of my more basic clothes instead of my shinobi outfit. It was time I went shopping again since the exams had left holes, rips, burn marks, etc in it.

Instead of the usual outfit, I wore a tight black long-sleeved shirt with all black shinobi pants and the standard ninja pouch strapped around my thigh.

"Are you finally ready, Naru-chan?" My mom asked as I stepped out. I nodded as I tied my forehead protector around my head.

"Here, strap this to your back. It's the scroll for 'Anima'." She said as she handed me my new sword.

"Will I learn how to use it today?" I asked. She smiled as she walked out of the door.

"If you're a good boy." She replied.

Yugito was also ready to go but it seemed that she was waiting for me to leave first.

"Everything ok, Yugito-chan?" I asked. She just nodded as she walked out.

It was so early that almost no one was out and about. Which I enjoyed a lot, I didn't have to ignore the taunts and glares I usually received from the villagers.

"So, where are we going?" I asked my mom.

"To the spa, the other shinobi that will be training you will definitely be there." My mom replied.

"Huh?" I said out loud.

At that time none of this was making any sense to me. It wasn't till after that day that I knew things would 'truly' never be the same.

We made it to the spa just before dawn. At first I thought we were going to go to the men's side and she would have me introduced myself to him alone. But man, was I in for an annoying surprise.

As we walked to the entrance of the 'women's' side, we saw a perverted old man trying his hardest to peak in on the women bathing. This infuriated me.

"Hey, pervert! What the hell do you thi..." I started to yelled but a blow to my head from my mom caused me to hit the floor and stay quiet.

"Manners, Naru-chan..." My mom said in a playful voice as she gave the pervert the same treatment that I had just recently received.

"HEY!! Oh, it's you Kushina-san. What do you need?" The old man asked.

"I'm here to introduce you to my son for the second time and now your new pupil." She said as she pointed to me. As he glanced over at me and stood straight up. This indeed was a large man that towered over all of us as he walked up to me.

"So this is the gaki, eh? He has indeed grown a little since I last saw him. But he's still a little runt." He said which just added fire to my already built up anger. I was going to kill him now.

"Why you!" I started to attack him but in the blink of an eye he had summoned a toad twice his size in which he stood right on top of. Said toad slung his tongue out, punching me into the hot spring water. I quickly leaped out of the water as my body now burned all over.

"Do you know who I am? I am one of the legendary Sannin, the Toad Hermit Jiraya! I trained the Yondaime and have ventured all over this world perfecting my jutsu and also my books." He said with pride literally dripping off his body as he pulled out one of said books.

When I looked at the book he was holding I noticed that it was the very same perverted book that Kakashi-sensei always read. That's when I knew this guy was the king of perverts. And he was a Sannin as well? On par with that snake in abilities and he also trained my father... His resume was a good one which was the only reason why I agreed to becoming his pupil.

When my body finally cooled off I stood up and glared him in his eyes.

"Ok, Ero-sennin... I agree to this 'only' if you can truly make me stronger." I said as I continued glare at him. I heard my mom laugh at the sannin's new nickname.

"The only reason why I agreed to train you is because I owe a few favors..." He said as he glanced over at my mom. "But that will be later today... As of now I have more research to do." He said as he started to walk off but the sound of my mom clearing her throat stopped him dead in his tracks.

"When I think about it, I have already collected enough information for today. Follow me..." He said reluctantly and began to exit the spa. Judging from his personality, I knew that this was going to lead to nothing but a headache.

We finally stopped walking when we reached a small stream on the outskirts of the village. As we stopped I looked over to my mom.

"You never told me how is Yugito-chan going to help me train..." I mused.

"That answer will come in later days. As of now, I am going to train both of you since she will also accompany you when you make your mind up to leave this hell-hole of a village." She replied as she crossed her arms.

"Kushina-san?" Yugito-chan asked as she looked at her.

"What? You think I would allow a weak kunoichi to be with my Naru-chan? And yes, I know of your secret already so don't worry about that. When I'm done with you, I'm positive that you could become one of the strongest kunoichi in history." She said as she glared at Yugito-chan. As I looked at Yugito-chan, I noticed that she was trying her hardest to keep her normal stoic expression, but I could easily tell that she was excited about the fact that she had just been accepted by my mother.

"Don't forget why we are here, gaki!" Ero-sennin yelled at me. Suddenly we heard the sounds of women giggling in the distance. He turned around and the saw the image of three beautiful maidens playing near the waterfall in bikinis and his mouth nearly dropped to the ground.

"Don't 'YOU' forget why we are here!" I yelled back.

He shook his head and walked over to me and began to look me over once again.

"Before we start the training I need to know all the jutsu you are capable of." He said as he stood back and began to stare at me. I sighed as I stepped back a couple of feet. My mom also watched me closely since she also was curious to see what I was capable of.

I decided to start with my basic jutsu that I used in almost every occasion.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" I yelled as ten more clones appeared right behind me.

"Now I want you guys to know that I am the original since you saw my clones appear behind as I did the hand sign." I said. They all nodded to show that they followed. "This next jutsu I usually don't have to call out but I will this time." I continued as I went through more hand seals.

"Bunshin Irekae no Jutsu!" I yelled I instantly switched places with the clone on the far right and then attacked the clone that took my place to show the jutsu's effectiveness.

I then pulled out a kunai from my leg pouch and activated another one of my favorite jutsu.

"Kazekatana!" I shouted as the wind began to dance around the blade and form into the shape of a sword. I then placed my left hand on it and began to focus more of my chakra into the kunai. "Kazeclaymore!" I yelled as a huge surge of wind blew past my mom and the others and formed around my kunai taking the shape of a giant claymore.

I then canceled the jutsu and placed the kunai back into my pouch. Then, I motioned to a crouching position and began to channel my chakra as my hand was flowing through hand seals faster than the normal eye could see.

"Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu!" I yelled as the massive amount of wind I summoned earlier began to surround me and formed a perfect wind cloak that was fitted to every part of my body.

As for my closer, my hands began to go through even more hand signs and the wind around me began to form a wild tornado until it took the shape of a dome, as the second level of wind from within began to spin around me, making it very hard to see me.

"Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu!" I shouted as the jutsu reached its peak when I completed the hand seals.

"I've got to say, gaki, that's pretty good for someone like you. Never expected as much." Ero-sennin said.

I released the jutsu and grunted at his comment. "Now, what do you want me to do?" I asked.

"I noticed every one of your jutsu uses up a lot of chakra to perform, which in your case is not a big deal since your reserves are even higher than your top notch jonin. But it also shows the amount of control you lack as well. If you had more control over those jutsu, then they would be ten times as dangerous and would also sprout more opportunities to create more. I'm still amazed that you have already discovered your affinity and already know how to use it better than most chunin can even imagine. But you still have a long way to go before you can call yourself a real shinobi, gaki!" Ero-sennin as he held his chest out.

"Hey! Then what do you propose I do about it, then?" I yelled. He smiled and pointed over towards the stream.

"I want you stand on top of the water using only your chakra as your base. You will remain that way until you can move around as if you were walking on land." Ero-sennin said.

I glanced over at the stream and figured since I knew how to walk up and down trees now with ease water should be a breeze to me, boy, was I wrong.

Two hours went by without any success and this had to be the longest two hours of my life, as of now, I was soaked from head to toe thanks to the amount of times I fell into the stream. I wanted to give up so many times but that bastard would laugh at me and 'tell me' to give up when I failed, which pissed me off and further pushed me to keep trying.

**'Calm your head, kit.'** Kyuubi said out of nowhere.

_'Easy for you to say. And have you found a solution to our major problem?'_ I asked.

**'Almost, but now is not the time to discuss that. Now you need to settle you frustration and cool down. You can only control your chakra completely when your mind is calm. Don't tell me that you have forgotten about what I taught you already?'** Kyuubi said.

_'No... I didn't forget.'_ I replied. I began to focus my mind as if I were in a fight and I could feel my body release chakra at every chakra point. I began to focus my chakra to my feet to release just enough chakra to allow me to stand straight up. Before I fell, I put my hands together and created around twenty clones to try this practice as well.

It had been so long since I last trained that I had forgotten all about this training technique that Kyuubi had taught me.

With the help of my clones trying this too, it only took another ten minutes before one of my clones mastered this training and sent me the memories so I would know its secrets too. In no time, I was running around and leaping around on top if the water like it was the ground. Even when I stumbled and fell it felt like I landed on solid ground as I picked myself up.

"You never cease to amaze me, gaki. Now try all your jutsu again and let me know how different you feel compared to before." Ero-sennin said as he handed me a dry towel.

**IV**

While Naruto was being trained by Jiriaya over by the stream, Kushina had decided that now would be the perfect time to begin her training with Yugito.

"Now Yugito, I want you come at me with all you have to see where you really stack up. Don't worry about hurting me either, otherwise you might annoy me." Kushina said with her arms crossed.

"Hai!" Yugito yelled as she pulled out two shuriken and threw them at Kushina before disappearing into the trees. Kushina easily blocked both shuriken and closed her eyes. She slung her fist to her right catching Yugito in the face right as she dashed towards her.

"I know that speed and reflexes are your style of fighting but you are way too loud!" Kushina yelled as she sent a powerful kick to Yugito's midsection, sending her flying into a tree. Before Yugito could get up, Kushina was already standing over her.

"I also understand that those two traits are your strong points, but you rely on them way too much. What happens when you run into someone who is faster than you?" Kushina said.

"Nen..." Yugito tried to summon one of her jutsu, but Kushina had already grabbed both her hands and slung her against the same tree she was leaning against.

"You're not listening to me..." Kushina said as she sat down beside Yugito's battered body. "I see you have a long way to go before I break you of your sloppy fighting habits." Kushina said as she put her arm around Yugito's shoulder. Yugito jumped at first but as soon she realized that Kushina was no longer attacking her, she relaxed. "I'm starting to see you as the daughter that I never had. I have high hopes for you, Yugito. Protect my Naru-chan when I'm not around, ok? Unfortunately, you will be around him a lot more than I will in the future." Kushina said as she smiled at Yugito. She couldn't believe the amount affection she was receiving from this woman, but at the same time it meant the world to her that the person who was closest to Naruto was trusting her with him and his safety.

**V**

Even deeper in the forest of Konoha, Sakura was also under heavy training with a very harsh sensei.

"You're too slow, Sakura-san." The soft voice of Haku said as he stood over her beaten figure. "You told me that you watched Naruto-san summon his jutsu using only one hand at speeds faster than most chunin, am I correct?" Haku asked as his many ice mirrors circled him.

"Yes..." Sakura forced out as she rose back to her feet with her chakra whip in hand.

"Well, if you want to mimic that, it will require you to have a lot more focus and concentration than you have right now. And you're still too slow to make your whip effective. Stop holding back and worrying about your chakra supply. You will not expand your limits if you do not push them. Understand, Sakura-san?" Haku said with a smile on his face.

"Hai!" Sakura said as she gripped the handle of her whip. Haku, during the chunin exams, had been working on becoming a Konoha ANBU since his past training was equal to such status. Since he did not have a team and a sensei, he could not enter the exams, but the next event would grant him his attempt if he wasn't promoted to ANBU yet.

Suddenly, he threw several kunai at a tree branch in the distance. Sakura with her new abilities didn't even sense anyone there.

"Reveal yourself!" Haku yelled as he reached for more kunai. Aoi appeared in said tree and began to walk in their direction. Sakura lifted her forehead protector and became very confused.

"Aoi-san? Why are you here?" Sakura asked.

"You know her, Sakura-san?" Haku asked.

"Don't worry, there are no ill intentions for my reason to be here. I only have a favor to ask of you, Sakura-san." Aoi said as she walked up closer to her.

"And that is?" Sakura asked.

"I want you to kill Ty." Aoi said.

"Nani?! Why?!" Sakura yelled in shock.

"There are many reasons why, but I just need you to do this to help keep Yugito safe. If I only bring Ty back to Kumo with me, I would be killed and the hunter nin would be sent full force. If I were not to return, my life would be spared as I relinquish my status as a Kumogakure jonin and become a nuke nin myself. This will also give Kushina-san enough time to train both her son and Yugito." Aoi said as she turned around and began to walk off.

"You really care about Yugito don't you?" Sakura asked.

"Not enough." Aoi said as she disappeared.

**VI**

At the Hyuuga compound, Hinata had finally been released from the hospital at the Hyuugas' request. The prestige of the clan awarded them the benefits of having their own certified medics.

Hiashi had never been the type to show compassion towards his daughters but as he sat there and watched his eldest in critical condition he could not help to relive the same feelings he was forced to go through when his beloved died.

Hinatas skin was scorched from head to toe with third degree burns as the medical nin focused their chakra into healing her. The more he watched them work, the more his anger began to take control of his better judgement. He stormed out of his daughter's room and began to head towards the Hyuuga meeting hall where the rest of the Hyuuga elders were waiting.

As soon as he walked in, everyone sat down in their honorable positions. Neji walked down as the elders sat down and bowed to Hiashi.

"Tell me, Neji, what exactly happened during the chunnin exam?" Hiashi demanded.

Neji clenched his fist a little as he raised up. He knew he couldn't show his hatred towards the main branch, especially during this time where they could easily kill him for not protecting Hinata.

"There were around twenty-six genin who passed the second exam, which the Hokage felt was too many. So we were forced to have a preliminary to decide who would continue to the final exam where we would fight one another. Hinata-sama was placed up against a cloud kunoichi..."

The elders broke in a loud outburst of rage at the name of cloud. The history between the Hyuuga and Kumogakure was just as bad as Konoha and Kumo's with each other. It was safe to say that the elders were not pleased with this situation at all.

"Silence!" Hiashi yelled as he took order in the room. "Were the injuries that Hinata's received due to battle or attempted murder?" Hiashi asked still trying to remain calm in a situation where any real father would be screaming for blood.

"The jonin had to intervene due to the cloud kunoichi. So I would have to say murder." Neji said.

Now the elders were screaming for blood. But even if Hiashi was furious he still knew this could end up with another war until Neji added the most important fact.

"She also denounced her affiliation with Kumogakure and is currently with Uzumaki Naruto." Neji said.

This set the elders into a frenzy as they could now kill three birds with one stone. The first would be killing anyone who was a part of Kumogakure, second being the same person just happened to be the person who tried to kill their heiress, and kill the Kyuubi gaki as well.

Now with all issues that may have caused him trouble later settled, Hiashi made the decision he wanted to make when he first saw his daughter in the pain she was in.

"We will show them the anger of the Hyuuga clan." Hiashi said as he stood up and left the room where the elders were still in a frenzy.

**VII**

I noticed my mom and Yugito-chan had returned as I continued my water stance training with Ero-sennin.

"I see you have improved a lot already, Naru-chan." My mom said as she walked up to Ero-sennin.

"The kid is better than I thought. 'Almost' a chip off the old block, so is it your turn?" Ero-sennin asked. My mom nodded as she began to walk onto the water until she reached me.

"I want you to grab the scroll on your back and bite your thumb and spread it across the seal. That is how you release 'Anima'." She said as she stood in front of me now. I nodded as I pulled out the scroll and did as she instructed. Instead of the usual puff of white smoke; the release of Anima was surrounded by a burst of wind and water as I now held the giant sword in both my hands. The weight was so unbelievable heavy, heavy to the point where I almost fell in the water. I started to run to the bank but she grabbed my shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mom asked.

"Wouldn't it be easy to wield this on land?" I asked.

"Yes." She replied.

"Ok, then. That's what I'm doing." I said.

"No, you're not." She said with a dark smirk on her face.

"No, I'm not?" I questioned.

"This will also be a part of your training from me. Remember when I told you that it would take a lot of focus to control Anima? Well this will allow you to increase your focus while increasing the amount of chakra control you have as well. I will teach you the jutsu that are associated with Anima once you have reached the point where you can wield it freely." She said. I sighed mentally as began to go through all the stances and swings as she instructed me.

I summoned around five clones to help me with this training in hopes of speeding things up. It took me an entire week to be able to wield it as freely as I could wield my Kazeclaymore. But my movements were still too sluggish, I had to be nimble as the wind and as fluid as the rivers, according to my mom that is.

After a week's worth of training I could greatly feel the difference between the me of current compared to the me of the past. I couldn't wait to finally master Anima. I could tell that the weapon held many secrets itself and would be a major plus in the battle with the teme and beyond. I could also notice a change both physically and emotionally with Yugito-chan. She began to talk more as my mother slowly helped her open up as they disappeared off to their secret trainings. Ero-sennin refused to teach me new jutsu as he monitored my training with Anima. He only gave me more chakra control exercises as he would sometimes wonder off to do his 'research'. The damned pervert. After the second week I could wield Anima and perform every one of my jutsu without breaking the rhythm I had set up before. I could even say I was a little faster since it took less chakra to perform the jutsu since I had more control. Things were truly peacefully as me and Yugito-chan grew closer until that night when all hell broke loose...

"Man, am I tired..." I said as I sealed away Anima and jumped on my couch. Surprisingly enough, Yugito-chan followed me and she jumped on top of me with a large smile on her face.

"Don't get carried away, you two… You're still just babies in my book." My mom said as she walked into the kitchen to begin cooking.

"Oh and Yu-chan, it's time that I taught you how to be a good cook as well." My mom called out. Yu-chan was my mom's new nickname for Yugito-chan. They had also grown closer over the last few weeks. Yugito-chan released a silent groan as she got up and headed for the kitchen. I chuckled to myself as I glanced over at the scroll that contained Anima. For some reason the designs almost hypnotized me as I dozed off. It wasn't until I felt a powerful killer intent that I woke up with both of my kunai in hand. I quickly grabbed my scroll and strapped it to my back as I saw my mom and Yugito-chan do the same.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"We need to move to open space and fast. We are about to be attacked from all angles." My mom said as she leaped out of the window. Me and Yugito-chan quickly followed. We were quickly met by several Hyuuga with their Byakugan so bright that they could easily be seen in the night.

I started to activate my Kazekatana but my mom quickly grabbed my hand.

"No... Not here." My mom said as she leaped on top of a nearby roof and began to run.

I couldn't tell you how long the chase went on for but I do know when we were forced to stop thanks to the unpleasant surprise of Hyuuga Neji and another squad of Hyuuga standing in our tracks. We now were on the outskirts of the village and completely surrounded by Hyuuga.

"Why are you here Neji? What about the final exam?" I said to Neji. He gave his normal stuck up look and just glared at me as if I was nothing.

"Clan matters are always held higher and you and the cloud nin are good as dead now..."

_**Two weeks before the final exam and I was already placed in another battle for my life. This one with the Hyuuga prodigy Neji. On one hand, it would serve to be a great warm up for my fight with Sasuke since they were both blessed with a dojutsu. But on the other I was forced to go up against the one genin that may be stronger than both me and Sasuke. The thing I did know at the time was the fact that this fight was going to be my toughest yet.**_

**--  
Translations:  
- Vulpes Regina**: Regina Vulpes (Latin: Queen Fox)  
- **Anima**: Soul/Spirit (Latin)  
- **Kazekatana**: Wind Sword  
- **Kazeclaymore**: Wind Claymore  
- **Bunshin Irekae no Jutsu**: Art of Clone Replacement (Direct Translation) Allows user to pin point the chakra signatures of each of the clones the user creates and replace them with their own body or vice versa.  
- **Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu**: Wind Release: The Air of Wind Cloak (Direct Translation) User releases chakra from everyone of their chakra points at a constant rate and molds with wind around them forming a barrier that takes the shape of their body.  
- **Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu**: Wind Release: Wind Vortex Cloak (Direct Translation) The next level of Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu. User creates a dome of chakra and wind that surround them. What enters it gets ripped at by the vortex of wind that is constantly moving within the dome.


	14. Chapter 14: The Storm

**Author Notes: Thanks guys for all the love I have been receiving thus far. Just six reviews away from the century mark which I am seriously looking forward too. If you guys have any suggestions feel free to hit me up. Right now my main dilemma is if I should split the story up as three separate stories (ex: Immanence I, II, & III) or have it all under one story. Look forward to guy suggestions and hope you enjoy the story.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Fourteen: The Storm

_**There I was, in front of Yugito-chan with one of the village's most prestigious prodigies staring down at me. In his mind, he had already won this fight against both me and Yugito-chan. I was more than willing to prove him wrong in that matter, but I had Yugito-chan to worry about. **_

"Don't worry about me, Naruto-kun. I can take care of myself." Yugito said to Naruto. He quickly turned his head and stared at her.

"I can't leave you in a situation like this!" Naruto yelled as he turned his attention back to Neji.

"Don't think this only to kill her, Naruto. We have been assigned the mission to kill 'all' of you." Neji emphasized the meaning behind his statement. Naruto clenched his fist as he began to conjure up a plan to get them out of this mess, who knew he would have no choice but to take on Neji but there was still the matter of protecting Yugito. He knew she was strong, but was she strong enough to take on several Hyuuga at chuunin level? That was a question he was not willing to put to the test.

Suddenly two Hyuuga were sent flying backwards by a wave of water. Naruto looked behind him and noticed that his mother was taking care of a lot of the Hyuuga that decided to attack her instead. At that time fear crept in his stomach as he wondered how strong was she.

After seeing his mother easily deal with the Hyuuga that attacked her, his resolve hardened.

"Yugito-chan, be careful." Naruto said as he quickly pulled out a kunai from his leg pouch and slung it at such speed that it even caught a Hyuuga with his genkai kekkai flaring by surprise, killing him instantly as he grabbed two more and activated his two favorite jutsu, the kage Bunshin and his kazekatana.

A smirk slid across Neji's face and he slid in his Jyuuken stance.

Naruto knew well that it would not be wise to take him head on due to the fact he would easily outclass him in taijutsu. He admitted that he had focused too much on his ninjutsu than worrying about polishing his taijutsu; a decision that had came back to bite him on this day.

Neji's eyes began to decipher which was the real one and which ones weren't. One thing Neji had to admit was the fact that Naruto had clearly mastered the kage Bunshin. Even 'his' eyes could not pick out the real one.

Yugito quickly pulled out a kunai and began to defend herself against the remaining Hyuuga. Kushina had already dealt with the majority of them.

Both Naruto and Neji were locked in a stare down. Neji was trying to predict which one of the Narutos would attack first.

"I'm waiting for you, if you're wondering." The Narutos said as they smirked. Neji returned his expression with a matching one. Before Naruto could even blink, Neji was in his face sending two of his fingers directly into Naruto throat. Luckily for Naruto, it was one of his clones. But unfortunately for Naruto, Neji was much swifter than he originally expected.

Neji quickly disposed of two more clones leaving only two left. The two remaining Naruto's dashed towards Neji but Neji's reflexes were too quick for the clones as they were easily taken out with just two flicks of his wrist. But that still left the most common question asked when fighting the blonde enigma to be answered, where was the real Naruto?

Nejis eyes began to sweep his surroundings without him even moving. This was one of the many reasons why the Hyuuga clan was so feared. It made it nearly impossible to successfully complete a sneak attack on even the less skilled Hyuuga.

Neji slung several shuriken from his hand into a nearby tree. Another body fell from one of its limbs. A closer look proved to be Naruto's lifeless body. Neji remained in his stance not wanting to be caught in another one of Narutos traps, he used his eyes to see if there were any changes in his chakra flow. Neji kept a steady watch on Naruto's dying body as his blood slowly seeped in to the ground. It wasn't for another minute until Neji decided that Naruto had died. A little bit of him was disappointed on how easy it was to kill the blonde shinobi. He could only hope that the kunoichi would put up a better fight.

As Neji walked past the pile of falling limbs from the tree that Naruto fell out of, he stopped. It became very obvious to him what actually happened and quickly turned towards the limbs. But unfortunately he was not quick enough to counter the attack Naruto launched on him. Two powerful blows to his face and a strong kick to his abdomen sending him crashing towards the ground. Neji instantly caught his balance before he could land on his back. Just in time to allow him to block the next attack that Naruto sent him. He quickly grabbed Naruto's ankle and twisted it, creating a cracking noise that could only mean the worst of news for Naruto.

Naruto released a loud shout of pain as he forced himself a try to send another foot to his head. Neji grabbed his other foot and used it to sling him against the ground. Narutos body collided with the ground, cracking several ribs. The blood rushed from his mouth as he let out another cry of pain. Neji pulled out a kunai and stabbed it into his spine.

A cloud of smoke appeared around Narutos body as it disappeared. Nejis right eye began to twitch with annoyance as he quickly got up. He was forced to quickly evade a barrage slashes from Naruto's kazekatana.

"How many times do I have to kill you?" Neji asked with annoyance seeping from his voice.

"As many times as it takes for me to kill you..." Naruto replied with an emotionless expression on his face.

With that said both were gone. The battle had shifted into a waiting game, a game to see who would be the first one to make the biggest mistake.

Neji was hiding in a bush as his all seeing eyes see watching everything. But even he knew Naruto was extremely gifted for a drop out. He noticed Naruto had the ability to match his chakra flow with the nature around him along with his clones, making the kage Bunshin a perfect weapon against his eyes. He could no longer tell the difference between the real and the fake. And for the first time it forced him to believe that he could actually be beaten by... by a failure... But how could he know some of the sacred secrets of the Byakugan, secrets that he wasn't even allowed to know the full of thanks to his birth under the branch family.

**II**

**'Good job kit. Keep it up, I can tell he's getting flustered.' **Kyuubi said.

_'Yeah...but it's also is taking a toll on me too. If I didn't perform that Bunshin Irekae and Ikioi Juuten my ribs and ankle would still be broken... You sure this is going to work, Regina-san?' _I asked.

**'Oh... You actually called me by my real name. Are you starting to take a liking to me kit?' **Kyuubi teased. **'And yes, I have dealt with such dojutsu before. I may be a kitsune, but that's also why I'm so cunning.' **Kyuubi continued.

_'Yeah... I suppose you are right about that.'_ I said as a grin grew on my face. Finally one of my clones spotted the Hyuuga. It was finally time for the second act to begin with our dance.

**III**

Neji suddenly sensed Naruto's presence and quickly turned around to meet his foe. A loud clank was heard as the two kunai from both shinobi collided with one another. Naruto summoned his Kazekatana and slashed through Neji's kunai easily. Neji fell backwards to avoid the attack as Naruto forced it all the way down upon his chest. At the last moment Neji sent a powerful kick to Naruto's midsection causing him to back up in pain. Neji quickly jumped up from his back and landed several more attacks on Naruto's open body, sending him crashing to the ground.

Neji watched as Naruto chakra points began to close up, but Neji knew well from experience that this fight was far from over. The more he fought with this baka, the more he realized that this baka was a genius. A genius on a level of his own. His respect for the young shinobi began to grow as each passing minute of their battle ticked away. It was true what they say, you truly know someone when you have met them on the battlefield.

By having this battle with him he had learned the truth behind Naruto's façade. That all he or anyone else knew about the blonde shinobi was a lie. A lie that Naruto had played on every single one of his peers. Neji didn't know exactly why he decided to hide the truth, but that fact alone made him that much more intrigued about him. Not only had it escape his fate, but also hid that fact to the outside world, making him completely under the radar when it came to his abilities. He was a true enigma, a true shinobi.

Just as Neji predicted, the body of Naruto disappeared in a puff of white smoke. He glanced back towards where he had left the others. He noticed that the two kunoichi were handling his brethren with ease. It was only a matter time before they were finished off and they would come after him. Was that what he was stalling for? To buy himself time?

While Neji was deep in thought, two kunai zoomed towards him. He barely had enough time to dodge the attacks. He quickly swung around in the direction of the attacks, but what he didn't see was the fact that he had fallen right into one of Naruto's traps. Two Narutos henge-d from the kunai and landed two solid punches a piece on Neji's back. Before Neji could counter, he was met with four more blows from each blonde. Now he was not only fighting to defend himself but also fighting to keep his balance. The blonde had managed to catch him in his blind spot and now he was the one in trouble.

Naruto continued his barrage and blows to Neji's body as he and his clone began to beat the Hyuuga senseless. It was beginning to look like Naruto would win the fight between the two. That is until Neji finally got serious.

Naruto felt a burst of chakra come from his opponent. Before Naruto knew it, he and his clone were sent crashing into the trunk of a tree. Neji quickly dashed upwards and landed several blows to key parts of Naruto and his clones' body. Neji in the back of his mind knew these two would be fake since at least one more Naruto would have to throw the two fakes at him when they were henge-d as kunai.

Naruto was perched on a limb in a nearby tree. He couldn't believe how Neji had been holding back until now. He knew it was also time for him to get serious as well. But before he could move down, he sensed the chakra of someone behind him.

"Finally, I've found the real you..." Neji said as his smug smirk appeared across his face.

As Naruto was turning around he was met with a very painful blow to the top of his right shoulder. Naruto wrenched in pain as he grabbed at it. Neji landed another blow, this time an open palm, to Narutos chest sending him falling out of the tree and landing hard on the ground.

Yup, this was the true Naruto alright. His body didn't disappear, plus Neji didn't have that empty feeling in the pit of his stomach as he did after he'd killed the clones.

Neji moved back into his stance as his chakra suddenly began to flare up. Kyuubi knew Naruto would be in trouble if she allowed him to succeed.

**'Naruto, with the remaining chakra you have left, use the Kaze Uzu Gaitou! Otherwise, you're done for, kit!' **Kyuubi yelled at Naruto.

Naruto easily compiled to her request by quickly running though several hand seals with his right hand.

"Now I have 'you' in my trap." Neji said with a great deal of confidence in his voice.

"We'll see about that. Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as a massive gust of wind began to surround him.

Not wanting him to complete his jutsu, Neji quickly leapt into his own.

Neji began to call out the number of attacks he was inflicted increasing by the power of two. But he noticed something was strange when he felt a sting of pain in his hands, he realized that Naruto had successful completed his jutsu, making him almost unreachable. The vortex of wind began to rip at Nejis hands every time he struck at Naruto's dome. Neji glanced at his hands and almost lost his cool as he saw the amount of tendons and nerves that had been severed thanks to the blonde enigma's jutsu. But Neji just could not leave it at that and retreat. He felt that he had to finish this fight to the end. There was no way he was going to allow himself to draw with this shinobi, even if he did have more respect for him.

Neji continued to push on with confidence that he could break through Narutos vortex. Naruto, on the other hand, was convinced that this guy was completely insane. If he continued attacking like that, he would end up without his arms and bleeding to death.

The last thing Neji wanted to happen, actually happened. A loud shriek of pain came from Neji as he instantly dropped to the ground. The pain caused his eyes to return to normal as he glanced down at his right hand, or where it should have been. Narutos defensive jutsu had ripped off Nejis right hand. Blood began to spew everywhere as the Hyuuga tried to scramble to his feet. He knew he needed something to wrap his wrist up with and quickly tore a piece of cloth from around his leg bandage and wrapped it around his wrist. Now came the issue of trying to calm himself down so the blood would stop pouring. The amount of blood that he had lost could have given even the strongest of stomachs a sick feeling. Deciding that he had no other choice but to retreat, Neji dashed off leaving a blood trail behind him. He could only hope he made it to the medic ward in time. Naruto released his jutsu as he crashed to the ground. Even before the fight Naruto's chakra was on the lower end of the spectrum thanks to all training his mother and Jiriaya had put him through.

Yugito noticed Naruto collapse and quickly ran to his side. Kushina glanced in their direction but knew her son was alright and that Yugito could tend to him. She still had one more Hyuuga to deal with. Not only was the kunoichi gifted in the arts of Fuuton but she was equally talented in Suiton as well.

When the Hyuuga realized that he was the last one left, he quickly retreated along with Neji. Kushina let down her guard as she began to relax a little. This was the first time she had to go all out in years, ever since she had returned home. The next thing that popped in her mind was her son. She knew Yugito was ok, but she did not know the whereabouts her son. She ran into the forest with a sense of panic as she began to scan her entire surroundings. Suddenly she found him, he was laying in Yugito's arms barely conscious.

"Naru-chan!" Kushina yelled as she ran to him.

"He's ok, Kushina-san. He's just exhausted." Yugito said as she rubbed his shoulders and held him closer to her. Kushina could tell that Yugito was just as worried as she was, if not more. Kushina knelt down and examined her son closer. She could tell that more was going on besides exhaustion but she could not tell what it was.

"Yugito-chan? I'm alright, don't worry about me." Naruto said as his eyes began to open once again. Yugito once again smiled as she realized what Naruto said was true. She had been trying to convince herself that the only reason he was down was because he was exhausted and not anything serious.

"Ok, Naruto-kun." Yugito said as she held him tightly. Kushina couldn't help but notice the amount of blood that polluted the grass and ground around them. She quickly began to wonder what exactly happened while she was fighting the other Hyuuga. She glanced over at Yugito again and noticed that she was a nervous wreck. This was the first time she had seen so much emotion from the girl that she almost felt happy. She knew Yugito would be a good balance for her Naru-chan in the future.

Now came the real dilemma in her life, what to do now. Her little family was now public enemy number one and it would be dangerous for them to stay in Konoha until the final exams began. She walked towards a nearby tree and leaned against it with her arms crossed.

"How long have you been hiding there?" Kushina asked someone in the distance.

"Long enough to know that the Kyuubi vessel known as your son wasn't the only one who improved. You might even be on Minato's level now Kushina..." The man in the distance said.

"Did I not warn you that if you ever speak his name again I would rip that cursed tongue out of your twisted head? And watch what you say about my son... Your lucky I'm not in the mood to kill you right now for what you've done to us" Kushina threatened.

"Hmmmm... I see your temper hasn't changed. And the true reason why you haven't attacked me is because you know I am not alone." The man replied in a calm tone

"You have always been coward. And if your men decide to follow, I will kill them. This may be hard to believe but I am not alone as well." Kushina countered.

"Hmph! Very well then. Jiraiya is a foe I don't wish to cross just yet... besides, you are no threat to me right now anyway. My main concerns as of now are focused in Konoha. Of course you don't mind that, do you Kushina-hime?" The strange man said.

"Why would I care about a village that has done nothing but curse my family. A huge part of that curse if your fault. Just remember that I will kill you if I ever see you again, or any one of your little subordinates." Kushina said as she walked off.

**IV**

Two weeks quickly passed and the day of the third exam was to be held the very next day. Sakura had decided to take the day off since she hadn't had a day off since the matches were decided for the tournament. She was wearing her pink kimono that had cherry blossoms decorated in tiny patterns all over instead of her normal ninja attire. She decided that it would be a good idea to check up on her teammates to see how they were faring on the day before the final exams.

On her way to the former Uchiha compound, she could not help but notice how much extra traffic the normally busy streets of Konoha had picked up. It became a task even for a shinobi to commute through the packed streets. She thought about travelling on the roof tops and instantly thought of the Naruto of old. The same Naruto who was obsessed with her and would pull pranks on so many people around Konoha. A lot of them she found hilarious while others were just downright childish.

It wasn't until she was older that she understood the amount of skill it took Naruto to pull of those pranks. She began to think about herself and the amount of growth she had undergone since the formation of team seven aka Team Kakashi. Yes even she had to admit that she was just another one of Sasukes fan girls and not a true shinobi. It wasn't until the mission to Wave that she realized her errors, her childish faults. Sasuke and Naruto were so far ahead of her that she was surprised that she could even see their backs.

Even though she still bore strong feelings for Sasuke, they were nowhere near the amount it was in the past or to the same degree. She now viewed Sasuke and Naruto on equal levels in skills and personality.

Even though she did not want to admit it, she was very jealous of Yugito. Not that she wanted Naruto or anything but she had grown feelings for the blonde. She had feelings for both of her teammates now, but not the feelings you would think a normal young confused teenage girl would have. Hers were feelings that were reserved only for those you would consider your truest of friends, the ones you would even consider a part of your family.

Both Naruto and Sasuke had become brothers to her and now even Haku had joined the picture. But one thing still remained, the fact that she was not standing beside them in status but behind them. Even though she was closer than she had ever been she still was not where she wanted to be. But all that was about to change, she was stronger now. She felt with a great deal of confidence that she could walk beside them with her head held high. But she still had a hint of doubt in her head.

Both Sasuke 'and' Naruto were geniuses in their own right and she knew more than anybody that they could massively increase their capability over the span of a month. Especially if the rumors were true about Kushina in Naruto's case.

"I'm so excited about this year's chuunin exams!" One person yelled at a nearby shop. Sakura decided to eavesdrop their conversations to find out what the local gossip was.

"Yeah, I am too. This has to be Konoha best showing ever. Six of the ten shinobi are from our village." The shop keeper said.

"Yes, that is amazing. Not to mention that four of the six are a part of the rookie nine." Another shopper said.

"Rookie nine?" A foreigner asked who overheard the conversation.

"You must not be from around here, stranger." The shop keeper said. "The rookie nine are the pride and the future of our village. These nine shinobi have been official ninja for about four months now and are barely even teenagers." The shop keeper continued.

"Why that's amazing!" The stranger said.

"Let's not forget about Team Kakashi. Their sensei is enough to bring fear to a lot of our enemies. But his entire team of rookie genin made it this far with ease, I heard. Of course the Uchiha lead the way for them but even the Uzumaki gaki is making a name for himself. And the kunoichi is blossoming into a fine shinobi as well." Another of the shoppers said.

Sakura smiled at that comment. She was right about what she said back during the preliminaries. Their team was becoming well known within the Konoha walls and after today their reputation would spread to other villages as well.

That's when the one truth hit her dead in her tracks. The one thing she tried to convince herself that wasn't true. The two boys who had made their way into her heart were to fight one another in the first round of the final exam. Her eyes began to tear up knowing the possible outcomes from the match. She knew the two hated each other with a passion and also were just looking for an opportunity to beat the life out of the other. What better place to do it than in front of the entire village and some of the most prestige lords in the shinobi world...

Naruto, on one hand, had a lot more to prove than Sasuke did, since Sasuke was practically born with 'almost' everything he needed. But Sasuke saw Naruto as a true stepping stone to defeating his brother. Since Naruto's emergence as a quality shinobi, Sasuke had been comparing his own capabilities to Naruto and this fight would serve as the test he was looking for. And for the first time, they would not have to worry about her intervening like she always did. Even though she was more willing to risk punishment to stop them from fighting. She did not know how she was going to fair watching them try to kill each other.

She decided to leave the market area before she got too caught up in her thoughts. She felt maybe if she was able to talk to the two before they fought then maybe, just maybe, they would fight as brothers and not as killers.

As she reached the compound, she couldn't believe how run down the place had become. It had the appearance of a ghost town. The district had an eerie feeling to it that left a cold chill down your spine. She could never understand why someone would want to be secluded here from the rest of the world.

The more she walked down the baron streets the more she wanted to leave. Something was telling her that she was being followed and the creepy streets of the former Uchiha compound only added to the feeling. At first she thought of running, but quickly brushed that thought away when she finally reached Sasuke's house. She knocked on the door and waited a few seconds before knocking again. She suddenly realized that Sasuke had yet to return from his own training with Kakashi. She lowered her head and began to run off, not because she was upset or disappointed but because she couldn't wait to get out of that hell-hole.

Unfortunately for her, Naruto's apartment just happened to be on the other side of the village. It was already dusk by the time she had made it to his apartment. If she thought Sasuke's place was run down, then Naruto's really was the ninth circle of hell. This was her first time visiting Naruto at his apartment and she really did not know how to react. Before they became a team, she never would have even imagined stepping foot anywhere near the vicinity of Naruto's place.

The only reason she knew where he lived was because of Iruka. As she reached the stairs she began to see the horrifying writings on the wall. Tears began to prick at her eyes as she realized that Naruto had to see this every time he came home. She never could imagine how anyone would be able to cope with what he did for as long as he had.

The words 'demon' and sentences like 'leave this village now' were written all over the wall of his floor. She could also tell that one actually lived on this floor but him.

She went to knock on his door, but noticed that it was already opened. She entered the apartment and began to look around. The place was a mess. Shattered glass, broken furniture, even blood littered the floor. Sakura instantly became worried as she began to search through the apartment for signs of her teammate.

"Naruto?" Sakura called out as she began opening a door, which she thought lead to his bedroom. Suddenly her body tensed up as she slung a kunai behind her, towards the window that sat over the sink.

"Wow, Sakura-san, your training has really paid off." a voice came from the direction in which the kunai was thrown. Sakura turned completely around and noticed that it was Aoi.

"What did you do to Naruto!?" Sakura yelled as she reached for another kunai.

"I didn't do anything, Sakura-san." Aoi said as she leaped into the apartment.

"Then where the hell is he and what happened here?" Sakura demanded. Aoi sighed.

"The Hyuuga attacked Naruto and Yugito here. Kushina took them out of Konoha. I do not know where they are or if they will come back." Aoi said as she glanced over to the side. Sakura's eyes, which were already watery, made it even harder for her to hold back her tears. All these events were leading to Naruto leaving for good if he hadn't already. She rubbed her eyes and glanced up at Aoi.

"So have you been following me?" Sakura asked.

"I was wondering if you had thought about my request." Aoi answered.

"I don't understand why do you want Ty dead so badly and why can't you do it yourself? I thought she was a student." Sakura fired back.

"That is the reason why I can't do it and the reason why I need her dead is to protect my life and to prevent another war." Aoi said as she sat down on Narutos torn couch.

"War?" Sakura asked.

"Yes... Ty right now is furious at the loss of both of her teammates. If I were to return to Kumo with just her she would plead her case to the council on how it was Konoha fault that Yugito defected and Lei died. Kumo would then declare war on Konoha and not to mention kill me for not being able to protect them. By you killing Ty, you can prevent all of this from happening and the village would have no other choice but to declare us dead since none of us would return to the village." Aoi said.

"You're not going back?" Sakura asked.

"Nahh... I'm planning on asking Kushina-san if I could accompany them when they decide to leave. That way, I could still oversee Yugito's training." Aoi replied as she crossed her arms. "And I think you should be heading home now. You do have a big day tomorrow after all." Aoi continued. Sakura glanced down at the ground wondering what she should do.

"Yeah, you are right, but as for killing..." Before she could finish her sentence she noticed that Aoi was already gone. Sakura shook her head and decided to head back home. She was sure that she would get a chance to talk to them both before they fought tomorrow.

**--  
Translations:**  
- **Kazekatana**: Wind Sword  
- **Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu**: Art of Energy Replenish (Direct Translation) Absorbs the chakra from the nature around the user and replenishes their low chakra reserve but drain their life force as an exhange.  
- **Bunshin Irekae no Jutsu**: Art of Clone Replacement (Direct Translation) Allows user to pin point the chakra signatures of each of the clones the user creates and replace them with their own body or vice versa.  
- **Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu**: Wind Release: Wind Vortex Cloak (Direct Translation) The next level of Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu. User creates a dome of chakra and wind that surround them. What enters it gets ripped at by the vortex of wind that is constantly moving within the dome.


	15. Chapter 15: And it Begins

**Author Notes: Thank you all again for your support! Finally got past the 100 mark! And thanks to everybody who gave me their suggestions about how I should structure the story. I've decided to keep it all under one name. Well I hope you enjoy the newest chapter.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Fifteen: And It Begins

Finally the day a lot of people in the shinobi world were looking forward to had come. Even though it was morning, you could still sense the excitement and thrill in the air as Konoha's perfect weather created the perfect setting for the days events.

For Sakura, the morning couldn't have come quick enough. She spent the majority of the night dwelling over several facts that she wished terribly weren't true. The two people she considered to be like brothers, and potential lover, were to do battle with one another. which could lead to the death of both of them. Their rivalry had led them down a twisted road of almost hatred between the two. The thought of them fighting was as painful to Sakura as if someone was trying to carve out her own heart.

Then there was the problem of Naruto and his family being chased out of Konoha by the Hyuuga. The rumors had been running rampant ever since she heard the news from Aoi. Some believe that Naruto and Yugito were killed, while other rumors stated that they had massacred everyone that came after them. She had taken a break from her training with Haku to try to find them, but they were nowhere to be found; which was a good thing if they were alive. She knew Kushina could handle herself with almost any foe and wouldn't let anything happen to her 'Naru-chan'.

She chuckled at the thought of Naruto's nickname. But her laughter quickly faded away when she realized that her blonde teammate, even if he was alive, may never return to this village. She already knew deep down in her heart that he was going to leave; even if she personally did not want to admit.

Then there was the issue of Aoi wanting her to kill Ty. She'd never been the one causing the bloodshed of anyone on purpose but if it was true what she said about a potential war between Kumo and Konoha if Ty did make it back, then she would have to.

And the last thing that kept her up was the excitement. She'd never been a fan of pointless fighting but this was one of those special occasions. She could not wait to show all what she was capable of doing. She now considered herself to be among the strongest kunoichi in Konoha, be it true or not, it was what she believed and would believe until she was proven wrong. A lot of her improvement she credited to Haku and Naruto. Even though Haku had a hands on the approach to her training, Naruto was the one that caused to grow stronger mentally and emotionally. She was more mature thanks to Naruto and she was more than grateful for that.

"Sakura! It's time to wake up. Your breakfast's ready." Sakura's mother yelled. What her mother didn't know was the fact that Sakura had been up and about for several hours now and was already fully dressed.

She decided to change her attire due to the importance of the final exams. She was now wearing a black shinobi vest that sported her 'o' symbol on the back in pink along with all pink sleeves and black gloves. She'd gotten rid of her skirt for all black shinobi pants along with an all black forehead protector and pink sandals. She wore a pink sash that had 'sakura' blossoms decorated all over it. Along the side of her waist were two specially made kunai that were crafted for her now favorite jutsu, the Sakura Kusari Hoippu no Jutsu.

She decided to head down stairs at her mother's request. As she entered the kitchen, her mother was standing with a surprised look on her face.

"You changed your outfit." She stated. Sakura nodded with a faint smile on her face. She was hoping that her mother would like her new style. "I love it! You've never looked more mature." Sakura blushed a little as she sat down at the table.

"Arigatou." Sakura said.

"So when do the exams start?" Sakura's mother asked.

"The exams actually start at noon." Sakura said.

"I am so excited to see my daughter fight for the first time. I still find it hard to believe that you have a chance to become a chuunin only after being a genin for a few months. It took your father years. He would be so proud of you, Sakura." Her mother said. Sakura blushed again. She had never received this much praise from her mother before and it was a feeling that she would love to keep.

"Hey, mom? What would you think of me if I killed someone?" Sakura asked.

"Well... It depends on the circumstances. If it was to protect someone or yourself and it was the only option available then I would be all for it. But if you murdered someone without a proper cause then I would be greatly disappointed. I wouldn't hate you, but you would have lost all of my respect."

Sakura nodded at her mother's comment as she continued to think about.

Sakura began to take bites out of breakfast when she heard a knock at her front door. She started to get up but her mother waved her down as she walked towards the door. Sakura was half hoping it would be Naruto coming to get her but it turned out to be the last person she would expect.

"Surprised to see you awake forehead-chan." Ino said as she walked up to her former best friend.

"What's that supposed to mean, Ino-pig?" Sakura countered. The two glared at each other for several seconds before both began to laugh.

"So, why are you here, Ino?" Sakura asked after taking another bite of her food.

"Three reasons!" Ino shouted as she held up three fingers in Sakura's face. "The first is to come get you for the exams; even though I didn't qualify I will still be cheering you on all the way. The second reason is to say arigato for saving my life..." Ino said as she held her head down.

"Don't thank me for something like that... I'm sure you would have done the same for me if I were in a similar position." Sakura said with a smile on her face trying her best to lighten the mood. "And what was the third?" Sakura asked.

"Do you think you can beat her?" Ino asked with her head still down.

"Hai!" Sakura yelled with confidence. "I have already beaten her before in Wave so I know I can beat her now with the amount of training I went through. Not to mention I now know several new jutsu that I am yet to reveal to anyone." Sakura continued.

"Well, ya better beat the hell out of that bitch!" Ino yelled as her eyes temporarily flared with anger and vengeance. Sakura laughed a little. "Oh, don't take this the wrong way. I understand that you have passed me now in strength but that's only temporary." Ino said with a grin on her face.

"Well, you better, because I'm not going to wait for you or hold your hand either." Sakura replied with a grin that matched hers.

"Anyway, forehead-chan, you should hurry up with your breakfast so we can get going." Ino said.

"Sure thing, 'Ino-pig'." Sakura countered.

As the two kunoichi exited the house, Ino for the first time got a good look at Sakura's new attire.

"Not bad.. Bout time you grew out of your pink on pink stage." Ino teased. Sakura just smiled.

"Well, I couldn't let Naruto be the only shinobi who stopped wearing loud colors." Sakura chuckled.

"Speaking of Naruto, you think he's ok?" Ino asked with concern in her voice which caught Sakura by surprised.

"If I know Naruto as well as I think, I am dead sure he is ok. Why do you care?" Sakura questioned her with a puzzling look. Ino instantly threw up her hands and began to shake them.

"Don't get the wrong idea Sakura... He is one of us, the rookie nine of Konoha, and a childhood friend even if he annoyed the hell out of me most of the time. I still think that cloud kunoichi is going to lead to nothing but bad news for him." Ino said.

"Oh... Is someone jealous?" Sakura teased.

"Hell no!" Ino yelled causing everyone in the street to stair at the two. Sakura chuckled.

"But what do you think of all the rumors?" Ino asked.

"Rumors are rumors until proven true. Plus I have my sources that reassure me that he's ok. The real question is 'is he's going to come back?'" Sakura said. Ino gave her a puzzling look.

"What do you mean?" Ino asked. Sakura shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. It's not my place to say." Sakura replied.

"Argh... You're going to tell me even if I have force it from you." Ino threatened in a playful tone in which Sakura caught on to but decided to just ignore it.

The stadium came into view for the two as the traffic began to pick up. She felt a slight nervousness grow in her stomach with every step she got closer. The reason for butterflies was not because of the competition, but if rather Sasuke and Naruto would listen to her pleads. She would have to talk to them together to get them to comply.

"What's bothering you?" Ino asked.

"Nothing." Sakura said.

"Don't lie to me, Hanuro!" Ino yelled. Sakura sighed knowing that Ino would not leave her alone until she told her.

"I'm worried about Sasuke-kun and Naruto. They practically hate each other right now and their fight could lead to one of them killing the other, and I have no other choice but to be a spectator." Sakura said with a hint of sadness in her voice. Ino sighed out loud.

"You're so close to becoming a chuunin, yet you are worried about those two? You got more important things to worry about first, baka! Take care of that Ty bitch first then worry about the boys." Ino demanded. Sakura nodded as she was somewhat caught off guard by her blonde friend's outburst.

"Yeah, you're right." Sakura replied with a smile on her face.

As the stepped up to the stadium entrance Sakura glanced over at Ino.

"Well, this is where we part ways, forehead-chan." Ino teased.

"Yup, Ino-pig." Sakura countered.

The two glared at each other for a second before smiling.

"Don't lose, Sakura." Ino said in a serious tone.

"I won't." Sakura said as her expression shifted to match Inos seriousness.

**II**

As Sakura entered the stadium, she noticed that all the other shinobi who had made it that far were already standing in the center. As Sakura took a step towards them, she glanced up at the crowd and let out a loud gasp. She could not believe how many people were here and there were more filling in. Was she really ready for this?

"Sakura-san!" Sakura was snapped out of her train of thought by Rock Lee. He was wearing his usual green jumpsuit with childish smile.

"Oh, Ohayo, Lee-san." Sakura greeted as she walked up to him. Then it hit her like a pound of bricks. She glanced all around her looking for something or someone.

"Is everything ok Sakura-san?" Lee asked with concern.

"Have you seen Sasuke-kun or Naruto?" She asked as she continued to search as if she was just over looking them.

"No, I haven't. Hopefully they can make it in time so we can share the flames of youth on such a wondrous day!" Lee shouted. Sakura just ignored him as she continued to look. She suddenly caught sight of Ty as said person saw her. A glaring contest quickly followed leaving everyone in between feeling a little suffocated from the tension.

The two were snatched out of their staring contest when the Tokubetsu Jonin, Shiranui Genma, walked out.

"The rules are simple, guys. Do whatever it takes to defeat your opponent. Killing is allowed if deemed necessary. I will interfere with a fight if needed. Now will all those who are not fighting head toward the waiting area."

Sakura's stomach began to churn over and over as she knew the decision she would have to make. Let alone how tough this fight was going to be. Fighting Ty was going to be her toughest fight ever, and she knew it. And the other thing that was weighing on her mind was the fact that neither Sasuke nor Naruto had appeared.

Ty's mind was settled and calm, her resolve solid, her jutsu were sharpened, she had been heavily training to kill off the pink kunoichi and mark her off her personal black list that led to Yugito at the end of the list.

The two kunoichi stepped to the center where Genma stood. The looks in their eyes told the entire story. There were no questions, no taunts, no jests, only pure business.

**III**

**Sakuci Ty Vs. Haruno Sakura**

The two just stood there as if they were using their eyes to do all the trash talking. Another minute flew by as the two remained in the same position. Then all of a sudden, as if it was planned, both kunoichi began to move. Sakura pulled her forehead protector over her eyes and entered her unorthodox stance. Ty wasn't going to cut any corners in this fight.

"Kaden no Jutsu!" Ty yelled as spark of electricity began to fly off her body. Sakura couldn't see them but she could more than sense Ty's chakra bouncing all over the place. Sakura instantly reached for her two special kunai that were strapped to her waist along side her pink sash.

"Sakura Kusari Hoippu no Jutsu!" Sakura yelled as a pink visible wave of chakra connected the two kunai to form her chakra whip. Now it was official to everyone that this fight was on its way.

Sakura leaped backwards, creating a sizeable distance between her and Ty. A little annoyed by Sakura's tactics, Ty stood up and crossed her arms.

"Running already? We haven't even started the fight yet." Ty taunted. Sakura only smirked as she suddenly slung her whip at Ty. Ty at first felt that there was no need to dodge the attack since it was obviously out of range. As Ty watched the whip reach its limit, she felt a powerful kick to the back of her head, sending her face first into the ground. She quickly turned over to see Sakura standing over with a grimace of pain on her own face thanks to Ty's jutsu side effects. But that still left Ty wondering how she got behind her without her seeing her move from in front of her.

She quickly glanced back over to where she originally saw Sakura standing and she was still there. She looked behind her and saw the other Sakura was gone! Was she imaging things? Ty forcefully pushed her body up from the ground and began to search her entire surroundings.

Sakura, with the same smug look on her face, cracked her whip against the ground as if she was daring Ty to come at her. Not wanting a repeat of what had happened earlier, Ty dashed in with blazing speed, speed that was almost on par with her ex team-mate Yugito. Ty knew her advantage in this battle was her speed. She was going have to use it precisely to defeat the pink kunoichi who was very talented when it came to unique genjutsu.

As Ty was within arm's length of Sakura, she threw several punches at Sakura. Said kunoichi was barely able to dodge them but she did manage to swing her whip at Ty, forcing her to let up on her attack long enough for her to be able to escape.

Sakura knew she would have to keep a fair distance between herself and Ty due to Ty's superior taijutsu abilities in this match. Suddenly, she went through seals but the average shinobi and civilian did not pick it up because she did it while swing her whip at Ty again.

As Sakura swung her whip, Ty timed it perfectly and deflected the tip of the whip with her kunai and used the brief interaction to close the gap and land a devastating blow to Sakura. As she did so, she was met with the exact same fate as a random kick knocked her several feet in the air.

She regained her composure when she reached the climax of her incline and twisted in air so she could land on her feet. As she was landing she was met with another blow to the face sending her flat on her back. As she rose up she saw Sakura in the same position she had left her in, on the ground coughing up blood. She didn't understand what was going on here, that was twice that she was attacked by a 'ghost' Sakura.

Sakura forced herself up and wiped away the drops of blood that escaped during her last spill. That last attack from Ty had taken a heavy toll on her body. But all she needed to do was endure the pain long enough for her newest jutsu to finish her off. That was what she hoped would be the outcome anyway. This was her first time testing this new jutsu out in live battle, she and Haku didn't have enough time to get that far.

Sakura once again gripped her chakra whip and secretly went through several seals, this time she added two more and ended on ram instead of tiger. Unlike before, this time Sakura took the offensive as she began to rush at Ty. Knowing that she was still the better when it came to taijutsu, Ty matched her pace and decided to meet her head on. Even if she grazed her with an attack, the side effects of the Kaden would do enough damage to her.

Sakura snapped her whip and slung it towards Ty's legs, as a natural reaction Ty leaped up in the air to avoid the attack, but Sakura was waiting for her to make that move as she quickly pulled back on her whip with enough force to strike Ty along her backside.

Ty let out a loud cry of pain as the hot waves of chakra carved into the soft tissue of her flesh. The pain caused her to lose control of her balance in mid air and plummet to the ground. Before she could 'safely' land, Sakura followed up with a side kick to her abdomen. But that was when Sakura fell for Ty's trap.

"Keimusho no Kaden!" Ty yelled as her body disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sakura's eyes widen as a wave of electricity sent a massive shock to her system. Her body fell hard against the ground with a lifeless thud. But unfortunately for Sakura, that was not the end of it. Every time she tried to move one of her muscles, the amount of electricity seemed to rise. Sakura's screams of pain played with the emotions of some of the audience. Some began to demand that the match be ended due to the pain Sakura was going through. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she continued to fight her way through the jutsu.

Ty saw that Sakura still had enough strength to continue and pulled out a kunai with the intention of finishing off this fight the bloody way. As she charged at the pink kunoichi, she was once again knocked off her feet. This time the attack was much more effective as she let out a cry of her own as she landed on the ground. She glanced over at Sakura and noticed that she was still suffering from the effects of her jutsu, but somehow she had once again attacked Ty without her having a clue how.

Ty quickly forced herself up and began to charge towards Sakura again this time keeping her eyes open the entire time, but yet again she fell victim to another attack. This time it was Sakura's whip that did the damage, the chakra that created the whip slapped up against her face directly on her left eye. Blood flew in all directions as Ty collapsed against the ground.

Ty just couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. How she had managed to be beaten down like a nobody when it seemed as if she was winning. She tried to open her left eye but the pain was too much for her. That was when it hit like a sack of bricks as she felt around her face. The attack had literally ripped out her eye and destroyed it. All that was left in its wake was a gapping gash. She began to scream in realization as tears filled the other eye.

Sakura was still struggling to free herself from the jutsu when it suddenly dispersed. Sakura was more than glad to be able to move again, but the damage the jutsu had caused was still too much for her to move freely.

Sakura forced herself to her feet finally and began to stumble over to Ty. Ty covered her left eye trying her hardest to prevent more blood loss. She glanced up with the eye she had left and glared at the pink haired demon as she pulled her forehead protector back to where it originally sat.

"H-h-how the fuck did you do it?" Ty asked as she realized that the fight was lost.

"You were caught in my trap in the very beginning." Sakura said as she continued to stumble up to her.

"What do you mean?" Ty asked.

"Kakure Yuurei no Sakura" Sakura said.

"Weird ass name..." Ty chuckled.

"Gets the job done, everyone who saw my whip and didn't see my hand seals or couldn't tell what it was in the beginning was caught in my genjutsu. And every time I used it and you paid attention to my whip you became even more trapped in it. But that's only the half of it, the other half I will not reveal to you. That's for you to find out." Sakura winked.

Ty lowered her head and admitted defeat as the crowd yet again exploded as Sakura was named the victor.

**Victor: Haruno Sakura**

**IV**

The Hokage took a drag from his pipe as he glanced over at the other Kage that shared his skybox. It had been a quiet and tense scene indeed. It was obvious that there was animosity between some of the strongest shinobi alive. It was still unbelievable to see that the Raikage decided to show as a representative of his own village instead of sending a subordinate. The Third chalked it up to the fact that he may have heard the news of Nii Yugito going rogue and wanted to see the matter first-hand.

On his other side sat the Kazekage, quiet as well, even though Konoha and Suna were supposed to be allies, it still felt cold in the booth between them.

The Third began to get the feeling that something strange was about to happen, but the only thing he could was wait for that something to happen.

**V**

**First Round: Hyuuga Neji v. Rock Lee**

As the other genin left for the waiting area, Neji and Lee turned towards each other. The sight Lee was expecting from Neji was far from the reality, and he was not the only one who was caught off guard. Neji's right hand was... was missing!

"Neji!?" Lee shouted in confusion.

"This is nothing. I am still more than capable of winning this tournament. Byakugan!" Neji yelled while a burst of chakra filled the stadium as his eyes shifted to their most powerful form.

Seeing that Neji was very much serious about this fight, Lee entered his normal fighting stance. This was the moment he had been waiting for the longest. His chance to truly test his new abilities against his rival, a true genius. But there was still a problem, Neji only had one hand.

With speeds that almost matched his on a good day, Neji was in his face with even faster attacks than Lee ever imagined. Lee quickly shifted to the defensive as he began to dodge several blows from Neji. It was very obvious now that Neji meant business and did not care about his handicap. If anything, Lee swore that he was actually faster.

Lee did a couple of back flips creating some distance between him and the Hyuuga. Neji stopped his attack and re-entered his awkward one-handed Jyuuken stance.

"What happened to his hand!" One the people in the crowd shouted.

Neji's lack of his right hand created quite a stir around the stadium.

"Lee. If you don't fight me seriously... I will kill you." Neji said with anger seeping out of his voice. Lee nodded his consent.

Lee suddenly zoomed in within Neji's reach and sent two kicks towards Neji's head. Neji used his right forearm to block the attack and quickly countered with an open palm thrust towards Lee's chest. Lee twisted sideways barely dodging the attack and sending a roundhouse kick towards Neji. The genius ducked under that attack and with lightning like speed sent two quick jabs at Lees leg. Lee switched his roundhouse into a back flip at the last minute, narrowly escaping a painful attack.

The two separated from each other and re-entered their stance.

"Lee..." Neji closed his eyes and stood up and crossed his arms. "What the hell are you doing? This is my last warning or I will go in for the kill. There were several openings that I 'know' you can keep hidden if you were fighting me seriously. You're really starting to piss me off." Neji said in a soft but stern voice.

"You're right, Neji... We should go all out to show everyone what it truly means to have the flames of youth burn brightly in you!" Lee yelled as he pumped his fist. Neji, still annoyed by his usually odd and hyper team-mate, smiled to himself.

Neji opened his eyes and glared at him with his Byakugan staring deep within Lee's soul, at least it looked that way.

"Well... Shall we fight for real now?" Neji said as he returned to his awkward Jyuuken stance. Before anyone could blink, both were going at it with almost thrice the speed.

Lee was finding out the hard way that Neji's obvious handicap was no normal handicap. He could have sworn that he was even quicker with one hand than he was with two. Neji instantly placed Lee on the defensive as he unleashed a flurry of jabs that even a now serious Lee was having trouble dodging.

Lee knew he would have to take the offensive pretty soon or Neji would land several hits on him, damaging his chakra system. He quickly lifted his leg and kicked Neji's hand into the air and landed a solid punch to his face. But it turned out to be a fake as Neji, the real one, was now behind him ready to unleash another attack. Lee quickly parried his attack and drop-kicked Neji in the chest, sending them both crashing to the ground. Neji was the first to get up and continue his attack; but he was caught with a swift leg sweep by Lee, sending him back towards the ground; but he used his left hand to balance himself enough to flip back unto his feet and land a side kick directly to Lee's face.

The blow was hard enough to bust Lee's nose as blood flew everywhere. Taking advantage of Lee's opened situation, Neji quickly dashed in to finish him off, but he ran right into a foot to his face, causing his head to go backwards while his leg kept going forward, which led to him being completely floored.

Neji never imagined that Lee was this fast. He never could land a single blow to him during their spars in the past. But after thinking about it, it sort of made sense to him that since it had been quite a while since they last fought.

Neji forced his body up to his feet as he settled back into his stance. Lee was also ready for more as he bounced around, almost in a kick-boxer style. This time Lee was the first to make his move and he was in Neji's face before Neji could register and landed a bone-crushing kick to Neji's chest, causing blood to force its way up from Neji's mouth. But even if his ribs were cracked, he still had enough control to land over twelve 'accurate' attacks to the leg that struck him. Each of the attacks had closed off a vital chakra point in Lee's right leg, rendering it basically useless.

Lee unfortunately did not realize it until he stepped back on it to regain his balance. Lee's body crashed against the ground with a loud thud. He tried to get up but his leg was refusing to cooperate with his demands. Luckily for him, he had landed a solid blow to Nejis rib-cage, otherwise it would've been over for him.

Speaking of Neji, he was not fairing any better than Lee as it became a labour just to breathe. Yet, he forced himself back to his feet as he glanced over at his team-mate.

_'Damn he has improved...' _Neji said mentality.

Lee finally forced himself back to his feet as he glanced back at his white eyed teammate. Judging by both of their bodies conditions, he could see this fight was coming close to its end.

Putting most of his weight on his good leg, Lee began to focus his chakra into releasing his chakra gates. Neji, despite the agonizing pain in his chest, slid into a familiar stance to all seasoned Hyuuga.

In the crowd, Hyuuga Hiashi was a little thrown off by the speed and strength Neji was displaying despite his obvious handicap. He never would have imagined that his late brother's son would have this much potential. Deep down inside, he always hated the Hyuuga traditions, but even as head of the clan he still did not have the power to change them. He looked over at his youngest daughter Hanabi and smiled. It would have to be the future that changed their clan.

"Ura Renge!" Lee yelled as a massive amount of chakra filled the stadium, even catching Neji off-guard.

In the stands, Gai remained still with his arms crossed. His two strongest students were about to bring their battle to an end. Even he was slightly surprised that Lee called upon this jutsu. Even though he instructed Lee to only use this when there was someone close to him that need protection, but this was one of those exceptions to the rule. He had considered Neji a rival since their academy days and it was now the time for Neji to recognize him as a worthy rival as well. Gai deep down inside hated the fact that Neji had lost his right hand, but after seeing him fight without it left an impression on him that was even greater than the Hyuuga had ever left him with. He had in such a short time re-mastered all his jutsu using only his left hand and improved on where he left off making him even more deadly. Then again he wouldn't expect anything less from the Hyuuga prodigy.

Neji was surprised to see such a burst of chakra from Lee. He knew it meant trouble for him if he allowed him to have his way. Neji quickly rushed towards Lee with an open palm, starting off his own deadly combo, the Hakke Sanbyaku Rokujuisshiki.

Both Haishis and Gai's eyes grew to the size of saucers as they both realized what Neji was doing. Gai knew things would now be very interesting since Neji just released a jutsu that could actually match the Ura Renge in speed and power and yet both parties had no clue what they were walking into.

Just as Neji got in close, both genin disappeared from human eyesight. Only the seasoned chuunin, Jonin, and of course the kage could follow their movements.

Lee managed to land several blows all over Neji's body but Neji managed to seal over two hundred of Lees chakra points. To the two genin, it felt like their dance went on for hours even though it was only two minutes before both collapsed to the ground.

Neji couldn't count the amount of bones he had that were cracked or broken. He now couldn't breathe without having his mouth filled with his blood. Lee, on the other hand, was in his own world of pain. His external body had taken a massive amount of damage thanks to his own jutsu and the majority of his chakra points had been sealed.

Genma realized that both were still conscious, but may not be able to move so he began a ten count. Realizing what he was doing both Neji and Lee began to try to force themselves back to their feet.

At this time the crowd began to get involved as they began to cheer them both on. Genma reached six when it seemed Lee would make it, but he instantly fell back down. Genma looked over at Neji and noticed he was on his knees.

Seven...

Lee was at it again as he clawed back to his knees matching Nejis position. The crowd seemed to get even louder with their cheers for the two.

Eight...

Neji finally managed to reach his feet but now he had to release control of his dojutsu thanks to his exhaustion and pain. He quickly hunched over using his left arm and his leg to support his upper body weight. Lee caught up to him as he two now stood on two feet. At this point both genin were moving on pure willpower. As the crowd saw that the two had 'both' made it to their feet, they nearly went crazy with cheers.

Genma looked at both of them to make sure they could continue before stopping the count.

Both Neji and Lee couldn't believe that the other survived their strongest attack and yet they still stood. Neji was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness as he smirked. Lee smiled back but instantly collapsed face first against the ground. The way he fell made it painfully obvious that he was not getting up.

Genma walked over to Lee and examined his body. He checked him for a pulse and when he found it, he released a sigh of relief. He then stood back up and declared Neji the victor. The crowd literally exploded from the cheer.

That was all that Neji needed to hear as he gave in to his body's demands and passed out in the same manner as Lee did.

**Victor: Hyuuga Neji**

**VI**

Sakura's mind was locked on one single topic, where were Sasuke and Naruto. She finally snapped out of her daydream-like state when she saw Shikamaru and the sand nin stand up and begin to leave.

"Good luck, Shikamaru." Sakura said.

"Since when could you summon a kage Bunshin?" Shikamaru asked without turning his back to face her. His question caught her off guard. He had seen right through her jutsu.

She nervously giggled as she grabbed him and pulled him closer to her.

"Since a week ago, of course I'm nowhere near Naruto's status when it comes to the kage Bunshin. I can only summon one at a time for a short period time." Sakura whispered in his ear.

"Heh... so troublesome." Shikamaru yawned as he began to catch up with his opponent. Sakura looked over at the other two shinobi from Suna and got this cold vibe from them. She then decided to take a seat by herself on the other side of the room.

Now she could focus on the other problem at hand, where the hell where Sasuke and Naruto?! It was now just one fight away from theirs and they were still nowhere to be found. She sighed out-loud, trying her best to calm her nerves. She was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.

"N-N-aruto-kun?" A soft voice called out. Sakura ears literally perked up as she glanced to where the voice came from. She suddenly caught sight of Hyuuga Hinata.

"Hinata?! What are you doing down here?" Sakura said as she got up and rush to her gentle friend, but nearly collapsed as she realized just how much Ty's jutsu had hurt her.

"Are you ok, Sakura-san?" Hinata asked. Sakura nodded as she picked herself up.

"Why are you here?" Sakura asked again.

"Looking for Naruto-kun..." Hinata said her usual soft tone. When Sakura got a better look at her she noticed that she was still covered from head to toe with bandages.

"Why? You know he has..."

"Yes..." Hinata interrupted. She lowered her head for a second before quickly raising it back up and staring Sakura in her eyes. "But that only makes me more determined than before. It's my fault that I lost him to that cloud nin..." Hinata said with a hint of malice in her voice when she mentioned the 'cloud nin'. "if I had only told him sooner, before he met her, things would be different." Hinata said as she turned her towards Shikamaru and the sand nin.

"Hinata..." Sakura said with a little bit of sadness creeping into her heart. "I understand how you feel but you are going to have to let it go and move on..." Sakura pleaded a little.

"That's why I have decided to change... No more stuttering, no more being shy, no more old me. I will do whatever it takes to win him back." Hinata proclaimed with confidence that Sakura never knew she had.

_'You can't win back what you never had...' _Sakura said to herself what she wanted to say to Hinata.

"I'll even surpass my father in strength. I will prove to Naruto-kun, to my father, and most importantly myself that I can do anything I set my mind to do." Hinata said. Sakura could feel the confidence in her growing at a rapid rate. It was very obvious that the Hyuuga heiress was more than serious.

"So why did you want to speak with Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"To finally confess to him my true feelings as the old me, before I transform into a greater person..." Hinata said. Sakura sighed out loud as she rested against the bench.

"Well, neither he nor Sasuke-kun has shown up yet... I am beginning to get worried. I wonder if the two got tired of waiting and just killed each other..." Sakura said. She glanced over at Hinata and noticed that there was a hint of worry on her face. "But don't worry, knowing Naruto, he would force Sasuke-kun to wait till now since he has something to prove... Hey Hinata, what would you do... if Naruto left the village for good?" Sakura decided to ask to see how she would react to it.

"I would be devastated at first...but then I would use it as motivation to get stronger so I could find him." Sakura smiled a little as she turned to watch Shikamaru fight. Deep down inside she knew the real reason why Hinata wanted to get stronger and change, even if Hinata didn't know it herself. It was to become stronger than Yugito.

Sakura sighed once again as she leaned back and closed her eyes. She could use her chakra senses to watch the fight while she took a nap. She was still recovering from her last fight and she would need all the energy she could get to be able to beat Neji.

**VI**

Lazily, the genin stared at Kankuro as he yawned. Kankuro was beginning to get a little agitated with how bored the leaf nin looked in from of him.

"Don't underestimate me..." Kankuro growled. Shikamaru blinked and then sat down and yawned once again. This time he place his elbow on his knee and used his hand to support the wait of his head.

"I'm not underestimating you, I just see all of this as very troublesome." The lazy genin complained. Kankuro's left eye began to twitch with annoyance as he stared at his opponent to be.

Finally Genma gave the word for the fight to begin and Kankuro quickly sprang to action drawing a kunai and launched it at Shikamaru. Shikamaru quickly deflected it with his own kunai. The glint in his bored eyes gave Kankuro clue of his seriousness.

**Nara Shikamaru v. Sabaku no Kankuro**

Kankuro smirked at Shikamaru's reaction time. He didn't expect the pineapple head shaped shinobi to even put up a fight.

"Thought you said this was all too troublesome for you?" Kankuro taunted.

"I did, but I didn't say I would surrender either." Shikamaru shout back.

Shikamaru began to walk backwards creating a large amount of distance between the two. Kankuro realized this and began to charge in at full speed with another kunai in hand. Suddenly, he was stopped dead in his tracks; he couldn't even move an inch as he remained suspended in his running position.

"What the hell did you do?" Kankuro yelled. Shikamaru only glanced down at Kankuro's shadow. Kankuro followed his eyes and then realized what had happened. He remembered from the preliminaries that he could control other people by capturing their shadows.

But when did he do the hand seals? Kankuro did not even see him move a finger. Well it didn't matter that much anyway since Kankuro also had a huge trick up his sleeve.

As Shikamarus main focus was on Kankuro in front of him, another Kankuro leapt up from the ground underneath him and landed a solid blow to his back. The blow sent Shikamaru face-first into the dirt.

It took Shikamaru less than a second to figure out what happened. He noticed that the object that was once strapped to Kankuros back was now gone. He cursed at himself for making such a rookie mistake.

He quickly rolled over to his stomach barely dodging a blow from the original Kankuro and leapt to his feet. His mind began to run over a hundred plans and outcomes as he retreated backwards.

The skin from the first Kankuro ripped apart revealing its true identity, a shinobi puppet. He was barely noticeable, but Kankuro was controlling with microscopic threads of chakra that extended from his finger tips.

Shikamaru instantly caught sight of this and began to add that to his equations as he finally stopped back-peddling when he reached the wall of the stadium. There he sat down and began to concentrate even more.

A little frustrated with Shikamaru's strange and cowardly behavior, Kankuro rushed in with his puppet at his side. His puppet opened its mouth and fired several poison needles from them.

Shikamaru's eyes flew open as the needles punctured his body. But suddenly the body was replaced with a wooden log as a puff of smoke appeared.

Kankuro let out a few curse words as he now began to search the area for the lazy shinobi. Suddenly, a stray kunai was launched at him from a distance. The puppet easily deflected it, but Kankuro could not make out where it had come from. Suddenly another came out of nowhere, Kankuro had to dodge this one as it landed right in front of him. He glanced up in the direction it came from and it seemed that it had come from someone in the crowd. Which did not make any sense to him at all, because he knew if that was true the ANBU would be all over that person.

"Where the hell did he go?" Kankuro asked himself.

This time a wall of kunai came at him. Instead of dodging the attacks he pulled out a scroll and released what was hidden in it. A second puppet, this time this one had a body built more a like a shield. He moved the puppet in front of him as the wall of kunai came crashing down upon them.

"Where the hell is this guy getting all these kunai?" Kankuro said.

_'Damn...didn't expect him to pull out a second puppet...so troublesome...' _Shikamaru said to himself as he began to think up a new strategy for defeating the sand nin.

"Where the hell are you! Come out and fight and stop playing all these damn games!" Kankuro yelled at the top of his lungs. But there was no answer.

Kankuro went to go pick up one of the kunai but noticed it had disappeared. He looked at his puppet and noticed that same thing. Now Kankuro was really confused. He heard the kunai as they punctured the wood of his puppets. What the hell was going on?

Suddenly another kunai was launched out of nowhere. Kankuro decided to test his theory. He waited till the opportune time and caught the kunai with his hand. Unfortunately for him, he didn't catch it right causing his hand to get cut and bleed furiously. Yup, they were real all right.

A large flock of black birds began to fly over the stadium. Kankuro looked up at them and then noticed that they were not the only things in the sky. A large barrage of kunai, ten times more than the first wave was now raining on him. He noticed that the number of kunai seemed to have matched the number of birds in the sky. He was forced to retreat to the edge of the stadium grounds where the kunai did not reach.

_'Finally...' _Shikamaru said to himself as he went through several hand seals in his hiding place.

Kankuro was on high alert the entire time as the kunai had finally stopped falling. Kankuro knew the lazy leaf nin had something else up his sleeves, just didn't know what.

"Kage Kuuki Keimusho no Jutsu!" Shikamaru yelled as he leaped out of the very hole Kankuro had created when he launched his surprise attack.

Kankuro had walked right into Shikamarus trap. Shikamaru had purposely lead him to the area of the stadium where the shadows were everywhere thanks to a shift in clouds.

The shadows that Kankuro was standing on and the shadows on the walls behind him began to engulf him. In a matter of seconds he was completely covered in what now looked like a black orb.

"You should start counting now... That jutsu sucks out all the light and oxygen that's within it." Shikamaru said as his lazy expression return as he looked on.

Genma began his count. He could hear the gasps for breath that came from within orb. Shikamaru didn't want to kill the nin but if he died before the ten count then it would be his own fault and not Shikamaru's.

As soon as Genma reached ten, Shikamaru released the jutsu. Even if it did not look like it, that jutsu had taken just about all of his chakra. If Kankuro had have escaped that jutsu, then it would've been over for Shikamaru.

When the shadows disappeared, Kankuro was already unconscious. Shikamaru released a silent breath of relief that he wasn't dead and began to walk towards the waiting area. The crowd began to cheer loudly, Konoha's genin were amazing according to a lot of them. And both Sakura and Shikamaru were beginning to make a name for themselves.

**Victor: Nara Shikamaru **

**VII**

The Sandaime Hokage was more than pleased with the outcome of the matches this far. His genin were dominating all their matches. He could smile now, knowing the future of Konoha would be in good hands. Both the Haruno and the Nara showed abilities that could have them promoted.

Then there was Naruto and Sasuke... He had pretty much been acting as Naruto's grandfather since his father died, and for Sasuke as well, even though Sasuke did not know about it. He watched both of them grow and improve beyond what he thought possible at their age. He also knew of the animosity between them. Even if the villagers looked at Naruto as a failure, he knew their fight would be one hell of a fight.

Sakura, on the other hand, was more than upset. It was now time for their fight to begin and the two were nowhere to be found. Her original plan of talking to them before they fought was now ruined. Her heart began to feel like someone was stabbing it with over a hundred kunai. Her eyes became red as she got close to crying. Hinata placed a bandaged hand on her back and began to rub it.

"Don't worry about it, Sakura-san. Everything will be ok, I'm sure. Both Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san will not want to kill each other." Hinata tried to comfort Sakura.

"But you do not know them like I do! They literally hate each other, and... and... and I do not know what I would do without either one..." Sakura said as she tried her hardest to fight back her tears.

"You l-l-ove them don't you?" Hinata asked. Sakura instantly froze up... She had never thought about it in that sense. Of course she always had a crush on Sasuke and every since they became teammates looked at Naruto as a brother. But now that Hinata had mentioned the word she had begun to see things in another light.

"I don't know..." Sakura said in almost a whisper.

"I won't hate you if you are in love with Naruto-kun. I mean I dislike the cloud nin, but I still don't hate her for what she did to me. She merely beat me to the punch, but that does not mean the fight is over, far from it." Hinata said with a smile on her face. Sakura glanced up at her with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know... I don't know..." Sakura said as she began to sob in Hinata arms.

**VIII**

The crowd was starting to get impatient as they continued to wait for the next fight to start. Genma stood in the middle of the stadium grounds with his arms crossed. He glanced up at the Hokage and saw him nod his head. Genma began his ten count before disqualifying them both.

The crowd began to shout obscenities in disgust of they way things were turning out. A lot of the villagers had heard of the rumors about Naruto's achievements but did not care. They were more interested in the fact that their favorite, Uchiha Sasuke, was about to do them all a favor and put an end to the Kyuubi gaki's life.

As Genma reached five, a kunai was thrown at his feet. Genma glanced down at it and was caught off guard by a streak of lightning that struck the ground in front of him. He stepped back to regain his bearings when he heard the crowd cheer. It was Uchiha Sasuke dressed in all new attire.

Like Sakura, Sasuke had switched to an all black theme as well. He wore an all black long sleeve skin tight turtle neck shirt with all back shinobi pants and black sandals, on top of his shirt was a dark blue shinobi vest that was unzipped and two matching forearm guards that were trimmed in white. He also had two katana that sat in an 'x' style across each other on his back. It was easy to tell that he had let his hair go since it now reached his shoulders which drove some the girls in the crowd crazy. His forehead protector was the only thing he kept the same.

Sasuke began to search for his blonde rival thinking he was already there. When he did not see him, he began to think that he had skipped out on their battle. At first, he wore a smirk on his face, thinking Naruto had chickened out, but when a second kunai landed right beside the one he had thrown, he quickly changed his mind.

Everybody in the crowd looked up to where the kunai had came from and saw the blonde shinobi shushin on top of the stadium in what looked like a tornado. He, like his teammates, had also changed his outfit as well.

He now wore a dark blue jacket with sky blue trimmed along the seams and openings that resembled the style of the yakuza. It also had his trademark whirlpool symbol printed on the back of the jacket, he had replaced his old forehead protector with a new one that had the end of it, where he tied it to his head, dangling to the mid section of his back, almost like two tails. Underneath his jacket was a sky blue sleeveless shirt. He wore dark blue shinobi pants and sandals. Strapped to the lower mid section of his back, was the large blue scroll where he kept Anima. Like Sasuke, he had let his hair grow out as well and it now hung over his forehead protector.

The two genin stared at each other as they knew the fight they were about to have would be the fight they had been waiting for the majority of their lives. Both genin wore similar grins on their face as they both knew they had already won this match. Both genin were also prepared to kill the other in order to achieve victory, a fact that Sakura knew but did not want to happen.

As she watched both of them glare at each other, she knew exactly what the two were thinking. She wanted to stop their fight so badly... she almost wished that neither of them had shown up. There had to be something she could do to prevent this fight from happening...

As she stood up to stop them, Hinata grabbed her shoulders. Sakura turned around and stared her down wondering why she was stopping her.

"If you stop them now, it will only make them hate you and cause you to be disqualified from the matches, then they would fight each other anyway. You should just let it go and hope for the best, Sakura-san." Hinata said with a smile on her face. As much as Sakura wanted to stop the fight, she knew deep down inside that Hinata was right. She sighed and sat down beside Hinata and lowered her head. Even if she was going to let them fight, that did not mean she would be able to watch them fight.

Naruto shushined down the stadium grounds in a tornado of wind. It was as plain as day to all the trained shinobi that Naruto had almost mastered the Fuuton element.

"Good to see you have improved... Ready to die, dobe?" Sasuke asked.

"We'll see who ends up being buried after this, teme..." Naruto countered.

--

Translations:

- **Kaden no Jutsu**: The Art of Electric Spark (Direct Translation) The user body is covered in an electric field that shocks everything they touch.

- **Sakura Kusari Hoippu no Jutsu**: The Art of the Cherry Blossom Chained Whip (Direct Translation) User emits a pink wave of chakra attached to their kunai. When combined with a genjutsu can be twice as effective.

- **Keimusho no Kaden**: The Prison of Electricity. User traps opponent in a field of electricity that sends electric currents through the opponent's body when they try to move and in some cases paralyzes them.

- **KakureYuurei no Sakura**: The Hidden Ghost of the Cherry Blossom (Direct Translation) User emits a genjutsu by extending their chakra out to their weapon and flinging it into the air, causing the opponent and/or group to become oblivious to the second part of the jutsu; which creates a kage Bunshin to attack them in their blind spots.

- **Ura Renge**: This advanced, more destructive version of the Renge requires the opening of at least the Third Gate (Life Gate), with a correspondingly higher cost to the user. Once the third gate is open, the user can then use Ura Renge by launching the target into the air and hitting them with one arm and foot, sending the target crashing into the ground, typically killing them. When Rock Lee used this move, he also opened the Fourth and Fifth Gates to grant him extra strength and speed; however, this is not required to perform Ura Renge. (Via NarutoChaos)

- **Hakke Sanbyaku Rokujuisshiki**: The Hyuuga clan's most powerful jutsu making it forbidden for normal Hyuuga clan members to be taught, this technique would strike each of the special 361 Tenketsu (chakra holes) directed at a single, humanoid opponent, instantly killing the opponent with the final blow. To perform this attack, the user has to concentrate all of his/her chakra into the two palms of his/her hands to make sure every strike hits every Tenketsu precisely, thus immobilizing the opponent with every hit. The attacks in this technique are executed with speed that could match the Extreme Lotus's. (Via NarutoChaos)

- **Kage Kuuki Keimusho no Jutsu**: The Art of the Shadow Air Prison (Direct Translation) User traps opponent on a large shadow that capture them in a orb like prison that cuts of all air flow within it.


	16. Chapter 16: The Time is Now

**Author's Note: Decided to release this one a little earlier since I will be ice fishing for the rest of the week for the first time. It's the chapter the majority of you have been waiting for so I hope I did a good job with it.**

**I also decided to keep ever****ything in one section and will just divide everything in two parts, Arigatou Gozaimasu!!**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Sixteen: The Time is Now

_**This was the fight that I had been looking forward to since our academy days. And the most important part was the fact that this was being held in front of an audience. So everyone in the village would see how their precious Uchiha would fair in a real fight.**_

Genma stared at the two genin with great interest. Never before had he felt such intense amount of chakra in genin before. This was more like an elite chuunin battle instead of one between genin. He never would have imagined that the Uzumaki kid would get this far.

The two genin just glared at each other, both with their arms crossed and determination blazing in their eyes.

"You've gotten taller, haven't you?" Sasuke said not changing expression at all.

"I see you are going for the long haired pretty boy style, huh?" Naruto replied in the same manner.

"Hey, I'm not the only one who let their hair grow." Sasuke said.

"Didn't have time to cut it with all the training I was going through." Naruto replied closing his eyes.

"Same here... Shall we start then?" Sasuke asked as a burst of chakra emerged revealing his Sharingan still in stage two. Another burst of chakra was felt as Naruto activated his own powerful jutsu.

"Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled. He did the hand seals inside his jacket and at such a speed that Sasuke's sharingan could not pick them up.

Sasuke crouched down in his taijutsu stance as Naruto stood back up with his arms crossed. Sasuke began to glare at his blonde teammate wondering what he was up to.

All of a sudden, Naruto dropped to all fours as eight kunai were sent spiralling towards Sasuke at unbelievable speeds. Sasuke's sharingan allowed him to react accordingly as he pulled out a kunai of his own from his leg pouch and began to deflect the barrage. As he dodged one of the kunai, it henged into Naruto, who landed a solid blow to Sasuke's back. But as the kick landed, Sasuke body disappeared in a puff of smoke revealing a log in its place. Suddenly Sasuke was behind the original Naruto with a kunai stabbing his neck.

"I guess I was wrong about you Naruto. And I did all this training for nothing." Sasuke said as he applied more pressure to the kunai forcing it deeper into Narutos neck.

"No... I'm disappointed in you Sasuke, that you fell for one of my classic traps even with that sharingan of yours." Naruto replied.

"Huh...?" Sasuke said. Suddenly, the Naruto he thought he had caught disappeared in a puff of smoke and two more Naruto leaped out of the ground and grabbed Sasuke's feet. Sasuke began to tug at his feet trying to get free, as he glanced up, he noticed another barrage of kunai flying towards him. He began to tug even more but it was too late as the each kunai met their mark. Yet again, Sasuke's body was replaced with another log. Naruto's clones disappeared as well. The crowd was left confused with what had just transpired. The more experienced knew exactly what was going on and were actually enjoying their little test of each other.

"I see you have improved, Naruto... Good, so I won't feel bad after I killed you." Sasuke said as he dropped his henge to reveal that he was acting as a regular crowd member. Naruto, on the other hand, had never left his original position as he sat with his leg crossed on top of the stadium eating a bowl of ramen. Sasuke saw this and became enraged.

"What the hell are you doing, NARUTO?!" Sasuke yelled as he leaped down to the stadium grounds. Some of the members in the crowd began to laugh.

"What? I didn't have time to eat." Naruto said as he took the last slurp of the soup that was left. Unbeknownst to all but his mother and Yugito, he actually sent his clones first and had dinner with them; also the reason why they were just reaching the stadium as well.

"Naruto! Get serious!" Kushina yelled as she took her seat. Yugito giggled a little while the new female just sat down beside them with her eyes closed.

"Hai, Hai, Mom…" Naruto yelled as he opened a scroll and sealed the bowl in it and then placed it in his jacket. He did several hand seals and pulled out a strange looking kunai and flung it into the sky. He then leaped down to stadium ground and glared at Sasuke.

"No more testing, dobe... This time we go all out." Sasuke said.

"Sounds good to me, teme..." Naruto replied. Without even doing hand seals Naruto's Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu activated almost like a kekkai genkai. But this was far more fierce than the one his clones used. Naruto's silhouette became blurry to Sasuke's sharingan eyes.

"Your wind won't be able to stand up to my fire." Sasuke said. Naruto smirked.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I already knew and have thought of a counter for it." Naruto said with a smirk on his face.

Sasuke leaped backward and began to go through several hand seals.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as he began to take in a deep breath. Suddenly Naruto did two hand seals and yelled.

"Suiton: Mizu no Myo Sei!" Naruto yelled as he dodged the massive size fire ball that came towards him.

Suddenly, the once clear and beautiful day became a dark and grim one as it began to rain. Sasuke's jutsu began to weaken as the majority of it was reduced to steam and vapor.

"When did you start using suiton jutsu?" Sasuke asked as the rain continued to pour down on them.

"Since I started learning my mom's jutsu." Naruto replied as he began going through another series of hand seals. Because he had only been learning suiton jutsu for a few weeks he had yet to master the seals using only one hand.

"Suiton: Teppoudama Rendan!" Naurto yelled as he began to form the rain drops around him into tiny water bullets and began to fire them at Sasuke. Sasuke was forced to evade as the barrage of bullets came firing toward him.

At the least expected time for Sasuke, two Naruto clones appeared from the rain and grabbed him.

"Mizu Bunshin?!" Sasuke yelled as several water bullets collided with his body. Each of the blows caused Sasuke to scream in pain as some even punctured him, leaving holes as they dispersed. Blood began to mix with the rain as he collided with the ground.

The two mizu clones picked up Sasuke by his hair and forced him to take in another barrage of bullets. To the dismay of the audience, Naruto, the youkai container, was literally man-handling their prodigy.

As Sasuke collapsed for the second time against the ground he began to laugh in an insane manner. Naruto and his mizu clones began to stare at him with confused looks.

"Did one of the bullets hit your head, teme?" Naruto asked.

"You're not the only one who has learned a new element." Sasuke said as he forced himself up.

"Hatsuden Nohara!" Sasuke yelled as he slammed both of his fist in the ground and began to pump his chakra in it. Suddenly the ground began to pulsate as everything that was wet began to generate electric currents catching Naruto and his mizu clones in its grasp, shocking them from head to toe. Genma was forced to leap up to the crowd to avoid the jutsu from affecting him, since he too was covered in water thanks to Naruto.

Sasuke stood back up to his feet as blood continued to drip from him wounds.

"You see Naruto, I always knew water would be my weakness since my clan jutsu was based on fire. So I had Kakashi teach me how to harness the thunder element that was laying dormant in me. But I never would have guessed that you of all people would think of using water against me. Guess you have grown smarter as well." Sasuke said as he began to grin.

The electric currents continued to shock Naruto as his body began to smoke from the extreme heat his body was being forced through. His body could barely move thanks to the jutsus side effects of paralysis. As a last ditch effort, he forced a large amount of chakra into his legs as he rocketed off the ground, freeing himself from the jutsu. Every muscle in his body ached with an intense amount of pain as he reached around his back for the large blue scroll and unravelled it.

As the scroll unrolled, Naruto placed his hand in the center of it and forced just enough chakra into it to release his claymore, Anima. As he pulled it out, everyone in the crowd eyes nearly popped out of their head at the size of it.

"Kaze Tsunami!" Naruto yelled as he swipe Anima through the air sending a chakra current of wind towards Sasuke. As the wind got closer it began to mix with the rain that was coming down and the water that was already on the ground.

Sasuke wasn't quick enough to dodge the blow as it hit him head-on forcing him back to the wall of the stadium. With Sasuke no longer pumping his chakra into the ground, the jutsu stopped.

Naruto landed on the ground with a splash as the rain continued to pour. He glanced up at the sky and stabbed Anima into the ground as he began to run through the same hand seal he did in the very beginning of the 'real' fight plus the two he did before Sasuke used his fire jutsu and slung another strange kunai into the air.

"Suiton: Mizu no Myo Sei!" Naruto repeated as a loud thunder clap was heard and the rain seemed to double in the amount that fell. The stadium grounds began to resemble a small pond at the back of it where the ground sort of sloped downward. Naruto did two more hand seals.

"Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as three mizu Bunshin appeared beside him. One grabbed Anima and lifted it as they all began to glare in Sasuke's direction. And as if on cue, two large waves of chakra were sent in their direction, forcing them to evade quickly.

Sasuke appeared from the rubble where the wall used to be unscathed, except from the effects of Narutos other suiton jutsu that is. Both of his katana were in his hands and glowed dangerously with chakra. He had pulled them out just in time to fend off the attack.

The four Naruto's were now standing at each corner of the stadium wearing the exact same emotionless expression, creeping out several of the audience.

"I see we're going to have to step this up another notch, eh, Naruto?" Sasuke said with a demented grin on his face as he wiped the blood from his mouth with his left wrist.

"Indeed." All the Naruto replied in unison as they all showed the amount of damage Naruto had gone through as well. The rain helped cool his burning skin but it still left scorch marks on his legs where the electricity entered his body. He was also feeling the side effects, as his body wouldn't move as quickly as he wanted. Suddenly there was a flicker of red light in Sasuke's sharingan eyes as he began to sling a wave of chakra to all four corners at the same time at speeds that looked almost unrealistic.

**II**

"Incredible... Never would have thought those two would get this strong..." Shikamaru said as he watched on, gripping the rails of the waiting area.

Sakura opened her eyes to see Sasuke and the four Narutos glare at one another right before Sasuke released a barrage of chakra waves from his two katana. This was also when she realized it was raining.

"When did it start raining?" Sakura asked as she looked up at Hinata.

"A few minutes ago. It's one of Naruto-kun's new jutsu. He is really amazing..." Hinata said as her face started to grow a blush.

"Jutsu? Naruto can actually make it rain!?" Sakura asked. Hinata nodded.

"He said it was one of his mother's jutsu... It seems women are good for something after all." Shikamaru said. Both Hinata and Sakura chose to ignore that last remark since they already knew him. Temari on the other hand was not so forgiving.

"What was that, pineapple head!?" Temari yelled as she charged up to him.

"All women are troublesome..." Shikamaru replied as he turned his back. Now completely enraged that this leaf genin had the audacity to talk down women like that, she began to reach for one of fans before Gaara stopped her.

"Temari... Now is not the time." Gaara said without even looking at her. Knowing what he could do her if he decided to go off the deep in like he always did, she decided to retreat for now.

As she walked to Gaara's side, she noticed something different about her little brother. He was excited, it seemed the fight between the blonde and the raven haired leaf genin was leaving an impression on him. She could tell that he really wanted to fight them.

"You ok, Gaara?" Temari asked.

"Kill..." Gaara said under his voice.

"Huh?" Temari asked.

"He wants to kill... kill them both, especially the blonde." Gaara said as his eyes began to shift to a jet black with the iris changing to a dark brown.

Temari began to slowly back up. She knew she couldn't control him, hell, no one could. And despite the plans their father, the Kazekage, had come up with; Gaara could easily throw a fork in it by killing both of them before the signal was given. And thanks to pineapple head, Kankuro was currently incapacitated. She would have to figure something out.

Sakura suddenly stood up and walked over to the entrance of the waiting area. She could see Sasuke wielding two katana but Naruto was nowhere to be found. As she looked for him she noticed how bad the stadium looked, the wall had huge rips in it from Sasuke's attacks and rubble was everywhere. She began to fear the worst for Naruto until she noticed Sasuke's eyes. His eyes relieved her of her worries because he still was looking for Naruto. As if he knew he was alive.

In the stadium seats, to say the audience was surprise about the fight was an understatement. A lot of them had never seen a battle on such a scale in their life. A lot of them thought the Hyuuga Neji/Rock Lee fight was crazy. The jutsu that were being used in this fight were unbelievable.

As Iruka entered the stadium, he began to search for a seat. He had heard all the commotion from all the way back at the academy. He still had papers to grade so he couldn't make it for the first fights.

Luckily for him, he caught the beginning of Narutos fight with Sasuke and was more than amazed at both of their progress. He began to wonder if they were even stronger than him now.

He was so caught up in the battle he forgot all about finding a seat. As he quickly tried to search for a seat, he finally found one in the third row next to the aisle. As he sat down, he noticed that he was sitting by a woman that instantly reminded him of Naruto's mother, Kushina. Suddenly, he remembered Naruto telling him about meeting his real mother. He also recognized Yugito sitting to her left.

"Excuse me, are you Uzumaki Kushina?" Iruka asked.

"Why do you need to know?" Kushina asked as she didn't even blink. Yugito glanced over at the man to see who was talking.

"I'm Umino Iruka, I was Naruto's sensei back in his academy days." Iruka said.

"Oh, really? I think he's mentioned you before. Arigatou for thank care of my lil' Naru-chan." Kushina said as her personality shifted from cold to a warm one.

"If I may ask, how is it possible for Naruto to perform such high level jutsu?" Iruka asked.

"Easy." Kushina said as glanced back at the fight. "He has Uzumaki blood and those jutsu are designed by Uzumakis for Uzumakis not to mention our natural affinity for suiton jutsu. Though even I was surprised that he could use the Mizu no Myo Sei at his age along with the Suiryuudan no Jutsu" Kushina said.

"He knows the Suiryuudan no Jutsu?! He has grown a lot..." Iruka said.

"And that's not even the half of it." Of all of the people to talk, it was Yugito who made that comment. It seemed that she too was changing for the better.

**III**

The rain continued to pour as Sasuke's eyes began to sweep side to side, trying to predict Naruto's next move. He knew Naruto wasn't out of this fight yet.

"Suiton: Teppoudama Rendan!" Naruto yelled as he leapt out from the rubble to Sasuke's left. Sasuke quickly began to dodge towards his left as he ran right into a second Naruto with Anima in his hands. As Naruto swung his mighty sword, Sasuke parried the attack using his two katana.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" Another Naruto yelled as the water from the end of the stadium began to form into a large dragon that took up a fourth of the stadium. The giant dragon of water lunged towards Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto quickly evaded the attack as the dragon actually chased after Sasuke. Sasuke, at the last minute, leaped into the air as the dragon crashed into the ground, sending waves upon waves of water everywhere.

As Sasuke began to descend to the ground, the fourth Naruto leapt from the water and landed two kicks to his stomach, forcing a large sum of blood up and out of his mouth. Sasuke slashed through the clone with his katana as he landed on the ground.

Sasuke quickly leapt up and began to dash towards the other three Narutos. His speed was on par with Lee and Yugito which caught Naruto completely by surprise.

The Naruto that wielded Anima dashed at him first, but Sasuke easily avoided his attack and sent another one of his chakra waves at the other two wiping them out completely. As Naruto went in to attack him from behind, two katana were jabbed through Naruto's back, causing him to let out a loud yell of pain.

"How..." Naruto forced out.

"What? You didn't think 'you' were the only shinobi who could perform the kage Bunshin did you?"

"No... How did you know it was me?" Naruto asked.

"Easy, that big sword of yours somehow has its own chakra source. And I realize that you're not strong enough to duplicate it since only one of you had it, leading me straight to you." Sasuke said as he turned around to face him directly before stabbing him with his own katana.

Naruto already knew how he figured out which one was real. He just needed to buy time so he could hide his right hand as he began to go through a lengthy series of hand seals.

Suddenly Naruto spat out a handful of blood as he smirked.

"What's so funny, dobe?" Sasuke questioned.

"This. Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as the wind around his body began swirl wildly out of control like a tornado catching the clone in his trap and complete destroying it. Sasuke was barely able to get out of the jutsu range as it formed a sphere of wind that was twirling dangerously around Naruto. Even the ground that was at Naruto's feet was being ripped up. This indeed was the first time he had pumped that much chakra into this jutsu, causing it to be twice as potent. The rain that continued to fall was being broken down into tiny molecules as they touched the wind dome.

Sasuke was caught off guard by this jutsu, he had no clue Naruto had this in his arsenal.

Naruto went through another session of hand seals as he crouched down trying to lessen the pain a little.

"Ikioi Juuten no Jutsu" Naruto shouted as his clone he left hidden transferred all its chakra to him replenishing his chakra supply and increasing his natural healing abilities and Kyuubi's, instantly healing the two puncture wounds in his chest. The pain was still there but at least it was no longer life threatening anymore.

Now with that out of the way, Naruto began to focus on Sasuke again. He went through a familiar set of hand seals.

"Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as several mizu clones appeared from the abundance of water on the stadium ground and began to attack Sasuke.

Sasuke was easily fending off the clones with his two katana heavy at work. Suddenly he dropped to knee and slammed his hand in the ground.

"Hatsuden Nohara!" Sasuke yelled as once again he began to pump his electric chakra into the ground. And like before, the electric current began to dance along the water, destroying all the mizu clones on its way to Naruto, but to Sasuke's dismay the current only circled the dome of wind as the force from the wind pushed it back.

Naruto began to go through another lengthy series of hand seals as he glared at the Uchiha.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as a massive amount of water began to once again take the form of a dragon as he flew towards Sasuke. Sasuke began to quickly back-pedal as the gigantic attack came directly towards him. He tried to dodge left, but the jutsu was too large to dodge this time, unlike the last time, as he took the entire brunt of the attack. As the dragon clashed into Sasuke and the ground, it created a massive tidal wave that slammed into the far end of the stadium, almost completely wiping out the wall. Luckily, the audience's seats were elevated above the walls and were supported by separate beams, otherwise there could have been several casualties due to that attack.

Not wanting to let up his attack, Naruto kept his dome up. He knew Sasuke wouldn't be finished by that attack, he could still feel him there.

And as if on cue, Sasuke leapt up from the water and began to run on top of it. Naruto glanced down at his hand and noticed that there was a massive amount of chakra forming around his right hand. That was also when he heard it...the sounds...it instantly reminded him of a flock of birds coming towards him. As he glanced back up to see Sasuke rushing directly at him.

_'What the hell is he thinking?' _Naruto asked himself.

Suddenly Sasuke thrust his right hand into Naruto's wind dome.

"Chidori!!" The sudden impact between the two jutsu created a large explosion sending both genin to the opposite ends of the stadium. The force of the explosion caused Naruto to collide hard with the wall adding to the pain he was already feeling from before. Sasuke was not as fortunate as he collided head first with the water.

At first it looked like both genin were unconscious since neither was moving, but suddenly Naruto let out a loud groan as he tried to stand up. His blonde hair had a crimson tint to it as the blood began to flow down his face. Sasuke began to fight his way to his feet.

As much as he didn't want to, Genma began to contemplate if he should call the fight. As great a fight as it was, the two genin were going to end up killing each other if this continued.

Naruto stumbled to his feet as he began to stagger towards Anima. He grabbed its handle and used it as support as he glared at Sasuke. Sasuke had a dazed glow over his eyes as he fought to stay conscious.

Taking in deep breaths Naruto released the handle of Anima and began to go through a series of hand seals.

"Tajuu Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled. Suddenly it seemed like every rain drop was taking form of a Mizu clone as they began to pounce on Sasuke's battered body.

Naruto lifted Anima and gripped it tight in his hands as he watched his 'army' attack Sasuke with all they had. He was really hoping that this would turn out to be the end of the fight with him as the victor. He knew at the start of the battle that his body was clearly not ready to perform such high level jutsu. The toll his body took from maintaining the Mizu no Myo Sei was almost unbearable, even though he never showed it. Not to mention the damage he took to his chakra system for the constant usage of the Suiryuudan no Jutsu. He had already used the Ikioi Juuten once and a second time was out of the question. It would take way too much concentration and chakra to go through it again. The Tajuu Mizu Bunshin wasn't his last move, but it was the next to last thing he had in his tank.

The rain finally began to let up as Naruto decided to release the jutsu to conserve what little chakra he had left, and he refused to attempt to tap into Kyuubis chakra supply, due to the importance of battle. Naruto wanted to beat his rival using his own power and not have assistance from the vixen.

Naruto watched as several of the clones began to be sent backwards as Sasuke slowly fought his way out of the pile.

"Kiba no Rai Rendan!" Sasuke yelled as flashes of light were seen and, in the matter of seconds, all the clones were erased from existence as Sasuke stood with blood covering his face, his sharingan no longer active thanks to his chakra exhaustion. Both of his katana glowed furiously as he glared at Naruto.

Naruto placed Anima into a defensive position as he already knew what was about to happen. He felt more and more of his chakra began to drain away as Anima began to pulsate. He glanced down at his claymore and saw that it too was glowing a light blue hue that matched Sasuke's purple hue. Suddenly, Anima became insanely lighter than usual.

"Kiba no Rai Odoru!" Sasuke yelled as he began to move at speed that almost made him invisible if it wasn't for his katana.

Naruto's instincts kicked in as he slanted Anima to the left, blocking Sasuke's initial attack with his right katana. Sasuke quickly turned one hundred and eighty degrees and slashed at Naruto twice with both blades. Naruto blocked the first attack and parried the second one, forcing Sasuke off balance. With the slight pause in Sasuke's attacks, Naruto quickly pulled back Anima and slung it forward at speeds that almost matched Sasuke's. Said Uchiha did a back flip, arching his back just enough to dodge the attack.

As he landed back on his feet, he noticed that Naruto was still caught in his swing, which was to be expected when wielding such a large weapon. Sasuke quickly did a few more hand seals as his katana began to glow again.

"Kiba no Raijin!" Sasuke yelled as he sent a wave of electric charka directly at Naruto.

Naruto was forced into a bad position and had to react fast. His hands released Anima instinctively and went through the seals for his best defensive jutsu. Using both his hands instead of one cut the normal amount of time it would take him in half.

"Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as he completed the seals with time to spare. His chakra alone was enough to push the attack back as the wind sent Sasuke flying. Naruto cancelled the jutsu quickly as he grabbed Anima and gripped the handle tightly, gritting his teeth. He felt his chakra channel itself into Anima as he allowed the sword to do what it wanted.

"Kaze Tsunami!" Naruto grunted as a massive wave of chakra mixed with both wind and water was sent towards Sasuke as he swung the sword with such force that it forced him to spin around from the momentum.

Sasuke glanced up and did the first thing that came to his mind.

"Kiba no Raijin!" He yelled as he pushed he last amount of chakra he had into his two katana sending two waves of his own.

The burst of chakra met directly in-between the two genin and created a massive explosion that sent debris everywhere.

A cloud of smoke covered the field as Naruto and Sasuke glared each other. They couldn't see where the other one was due to the smoke, but they 'knew' exactly where the other was just by feeling. Both leaf shinobi had exhausted all their chakra supply, both genin literally had nothing left under their sleeves, the only thing that kept them standing was sheer determination, pure willpower, and that was enough for one last attack.

_**Here stood two genin of Konohagakure no Sato who where on an equal level of abilities, yet in the public eye they were polar opposite. All that changed after this battle. This battle curved almost every villager's perspective on this situation. This battle was not between the prodigy and the youkai... but between two shinobi who had the potential to propel Konohagakure to the top of the other villages and become the greatest shinobi of their time; even greater than the Yondaime, even greater than the legendary Sanin, and even greater than the Shodai. Even if it was only temporary, even if that feeling that everyone felt during the fight was never meant to last forever, at least, AT LEAST for a few minutes, the entire village of Konohagakure was proud to be the home of Uchiha Sasuke 'AND' Uzumaki Naruto...**_

"SASUKE!!" Naruto yelled as he dashed towards Sasuke, gripping the handle of Anima so tightly that his hands were bleeding.

"NARUTO!!" Sasuke yelled at the same time as he charged up to Naruto, blood flowing from all his reopened wounds.

"KAZE TSUNAMI!!"

"KIBA NO RAIJIN!!"

Both Naruto and Sasuke yelled their attacks as they were well within several feet away from each other. But jutsu were released at point blank range, creating an even larger explosion than just a few minutes ago when the two jutsu clashed at a reasonable range away from their owners.

A large shock wave of chakra was sent in all directions as the entire stadium began to rumble as if it was about to collapse. The audience became hysterical as a few began to run for the exit, but suddenly all stabilized as the rumbling stopped.

The stadium grounds were left demoralized as dust and dirt began to settle back to the ground. Who would have thought that the willpower and determination of two genin would be 'this' destructive.

**IV**

Even though neither realized it at the time, both Sakura's and Yugito's hearts skipped a beat at the same time. Yugito wanted to rush down there as she leapt to her feet but felt a hand tightly grab her wrist. Yugito glared back at the owner of the hand as the Nibi's chakra began to seep out in a green hue. The stern face of Kushina quickly calmed Yugito down as the Nibi's chakra began to disperse.

Sakura was having similar troubles as well as she started to rush to where Sasuke and Naruto were, but stopped dead in her tracks when Shikamaru stood in front of her.

"Don't make hurt you, Shikamaru! I need to go to them!" She yelled as she reached for her two special kunai, but as she tried to move she noticed that he had trapped her with one of his shadow binding jutsu.

"Not yet... Wait till it's officially over. There's no telling what could happen if you ran out there and they were still planning to fight. You could get caught up in one of their jutsu, leaving you as good as dead." Shikamaru said as he sighed.

"I don't care if I die if it means that they would stop fighting!" Sakura shouted. She glanced over at Hinata for backup but noticed that she too was disagreeing with her. It was easy to tell that she was more than worried about Naruto, but she knew she had to wait it out until the very end.

As the clouds of dust and dirt finally began to disperse, both genin became visible. Naruto's body had been flung all the way to end of the stadium and lay in a twisted position as Anima stood beside him, stuck in the ground. Blood was everywhere as his eyes were closed.

The blast had actually sent Sasuke into the ground in the center of a massive crater as both his katana laid to his sides.

After seeing Naruto's mangled body, Yugito's heart literally stopped. Her legs became weak as she collapsed to her knees. Tears filled the brim of her eyes as her lungs refused to take in any air.

_'It couldn't be... could it? It-it's IMPOSSIBLE!' _Were the thoughts that tormented Yugito as she tried to fight back her urge to cry. She promised herself when she was younger that she wouldn't cry anymore. She would become emotionless so the pain of her childhood would just roll off her. But after meeting Naruto, someone who shared her pain but chose to remain in the light she had started to return to herself. The true Yugito, the Yugito who had been locked away for a very long time. She suddenly heard gasps and cheers which instantly caught her attention.

As she glanced up at Kushina, she noticed the smiled that was on her face. The smile she smiled only when she was proud of her son. She rose up and saw the blonde shinobi that had made his way into her heart fight back to his feet. Her eyes could no longer hold back the tears as she sobbed uncontrollably. Kushina hugged her from behind in an effort to comfort the kunoichi who had over the month became like a daughter to her. Hell, she may actually be official if everything went the way Kushina planned it.

Sakura heard the cheers from the crowd and wanted to see what had happened.

"N-N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted as she jumped to her feet with her expression mirroring her actions.

Shikamaru turned around to see for himself what had just happened, releasing Sakura from his jutsu in the process. Sakura rushed besides him to get a closer look and saw Naruto fight to his feet, using his giant sword as support.

But where was Sasuke? She noticed a giant crater in the center of the ground, she imagined that Sasuke was there. Now fifty percent of her worries were over, now she needed to know if Sasuke was ok. She saw Genma leap into the crater, after what seemed like forever he gave a signal to everyone in the crowd that Sasuke was indeed alive and began his ten count. Sakura allowed her emotions to take her once again, but this time it was complete joy that her two best friends were still alive.

But the real question was 'What the hell happened?'

**V**

"SASUKE!!" Naruto yelled as he dashed towards Sasuke gripping the handle of Anima so tightly that his hands were bleeding.

"NARUTO!!" Sasuke yelled at the same time as he charged up to Naruto as blood flowed from all his reopened wounds.

"KAZE TSUNAMI!!"

"KIBA NO RAIJIN!!"

Both Naruto and Sasuke yelled their attacks as they were well within several feet away from each other. But jutsu were released at point blank range, creating an even larger explosion than just a few minutes ago when the two jutsu clashed at a reasonable range away from their owners.

Right before the two released their jutsu, Naruto leapt up in the air and angled his attack downwards, forcing Sasuke to angle his attack upwards and putting the weight of the jutsu on his back.

The explosion along with gravity caused Sasuke to take the blunt of the attacks as he was forced to the ground. With nowhere else to go but down, the aftershock forced him even deeper down, creating a large crater in its wake.

Thanks to Naruto's quick thinking, the blast only sent him crashing very hard into the wall. But the side effects of that bold move of his was the fact that he was forced to take on most of the loose chakra that recoiled after the collision burning him all over.

**VI**

"Nine... Ten!" Genma shouted as he announced Uzumaki Naruto the victor. The audience was filled with mixed emotions; a lot of them just did not know how to react. The Kyuubi gaki had just beaten their prodigy...

Suddenly a loud clap was heard, everybody quickly turned their head to see where it came from. All eyes were on one Umino Iruka as he continued to clap for his surrogate little brother. Reluctantly, but surely, some of the other audience members began to join in. All the visitors who were not from Konohagakure quickly leapt to their feet and began to cheer their hearts out. And for a good reason as well, that was one hell of a fight that 'no one' expected to see during the chuunin exams. Yeah, these were potential chuunin here but the jutsu they were using were at the level of Jonin.

Suddenly the rest of the crowd joined in with the cheers as the soft claps became roars of cheers. If not for the Uzumaki's victory, then for the simple fact that this was a fight for the ages. A lot of people forgot that this was only the first round!

**Victor: Uzumaki Naruto**

As the medics walked over to Sasuke's body and lifted him onto the stretcher, Naruto couldn't help but to smile.

"Take that, teme..." Naruto said below his breath as he coughed up a small sum of blood.

Sakura and Hinata were about to rush the stadium ground when the next thing they saw caught both of them completely off guard.

As Naruto started to walk towards the medical ward of the stadium, he was confronted by one red eyed, crying, Yugito.

"Yugito-chan?" Naruto questioned.

"Naruto-kun..." She said as she lowered her head and literally tackled him, if it wasn't for Anima he would've fallen to the ground. She gave him the tightest and warmest embrace that he had ever felt.

"I'm ok, Yu..." Before he could finish Yugito had done the very last thing he or anyone who actually knew her would have expected. She captured his lips with her own as steaming tears rolled down her cheeks. At first Naruto was shocked but he quickly went with the flow as he poured all his passion into it. All their years of pain... fear... and loneliness no longer mattered, it didn't even exist to them anymore. This was the official end to their horrible past as they cemented their future together as lovers.

To the outside world, it only looked like a very, very, passionate kiss, but to them... It was their promise, no, their declaration, to one another that they would never allow the other to suffer alone anymore. That their love for each other would outweigh any pain that was thrown their way.

Unwillingly, Yugito pulled back from their kiss and stared directly into his cerulean blue globes and smiled a smile so beautiful that Naruto fell in love all over again. He kissed her forehead as she rested her head on his chest.

"Daisuki, Naruto-kun."

"Daisuki, Yugito-chan."

Sakura couldn't believe what she was seeing. The majority of her was happy to see that the two were showing so much affection towards one another, but there was this hint of jealousy and pain that tugged at her heart. As minuscule as it was, the fact still remained that it was still there, which bothered her.

Hinata, on the other hand, was far from happy. Her eyes became flooded with tears as her anger began to boil her blood. She let loose a punch to the wall that completely shattered it like glass as her killer intent made it difficult to breathe for everyone else. Her chakra was flaring off the radar as the tears began to storm down her pale cheeks.

Shikamaru knew the Hyuuga had potential but the amount of chakra she was emitting then had her rivalling her cousin Neji. Sakura began to walk over to her to help calm her down when all of a sudden there was a strange horn.

_'The signal' _Temari mentally said as she glanced over at her little brother. He had finally reached his limit of control over the Shukaku as it became painfully obvious what he wanted to do. Temari was more relieved that he managed to hold out this long.

The Sandaime was caught off guard as well by the loud horn whaling in the distances. He glanced over at the Kazekage and watched him stand up and discard his robe revealing who he truly was.

"Orochimaru…"

**Translations**:  
- **Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu**: Fire Element: Grand Fireball. Utilizing a high amount of chakra, the user breathes a huge and intense ball of flame; a devastating attack. (Via NarutoChaos)

- **Suiton: Mizu no Myo Sei**: Water Style: Water from a Dark Sky/Thunderstorm (Note: Sorry if this is wrong, not too solid about this one) User focuses their water nature chakra into an object like a kunai or shuriken and launches object into the sky. When the chakra comes in contact with a cumulus cloud, it transforms it into a nimbus cloud, causing it to rain. User constantly channels their chakra into the cloud, forcing it to rain until either the jutsu stops or user passes out from chakra exhaustion. Takes up a large portion of the user's chakra to maintain.

- **Suiton: Teppoudama Rendan**: Water Style: Water Bullet Barrage. User focuses enough of their chakra into the water surrounding them forming tiny balls of water and firing them at their opponent.

- **Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu**: Water Clone. The water version of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.

- **Hatsuden Nohara**: Electric Field. User plants one or two of their limbs into the ground and sends a wave of lighting chakra through it.

- **Kaze Tsunami**: Wind Wave. Anima sends a wave of chakra mixed with wind and water.

- **Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu**: Water Style: Water Dragon Blast. A powerful attack that creates a huge current of water in the shape of a dragon, which is sent towards the opponent. Except when used by extremely powerful ninjas, this Jutsu can only be done when in or near a body of water. (Via NarutoChaos)

- **Chidori**: One Thousand Birds. A technique where the power of the attack is in the thrust. The user must accumulate fast speeds in order to create the thrust which can cut through anything, even lightning itself. (Via NarutoChaos)

- **Tajuu Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu:** Mass Water Clone. Created over hundreds of water clones using rain or other large sources of water.  
- **Kiba no Rai Renden**: Fang of Thunder Barrage. User focuses a large amount of chakra fused with the thunder element into their weapons and attack their opponent with a barrage of attacks at very high speeds.

- **Kiba no Rai Odoru**: Fang of Thunder Dance. A more powerful version of the Kiba no Rai Renden where the movements of the user become almost faster than the human eye can see.

- **Kiba no Raijin**: Fang of the Thunder God. The user focuses a large amount of thunder fused chakra into their weapon and pushes it toward their opponent at a speed that is almost to fast to counter.


	17. Chapter 17: Kaze no Kitsune

**Author's Notes: Sorry for the late chapter. Thanks for all the love with the last chapter.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Seventeen: Kaze no Kitsune

"Orochimaru…" the Sandaime said as he glared at his former student. His once favorite pupil now stood before him with a menacing look on his face that only meant trouble for the current Hokage.

"I'm so glad that you remembered me, Sarutobi-sensei." Orochimaru said as flicked his tongue out, just like a snake would. The Sandaime glanced over to his side to see if the Raikage was in on this attack, but what he saw startled him. There was nothing there but the Raikage's cloak as a puff of smoke appeared.

'_A Bunshin…' _the Sandaime thought as he ground his teeth in frustration. He knew he was getting old, but he could not believe that he fell for such a simple jutsu.

"Stay away from Hokage-sama!" the ANBU officer who was in charge of guarding the Sandaime yelled, as he stepped between the two shinobi. All of a sudden, there was a large explosion to the right of them that sent debris right past them. Both Orochimaru and the Hokage did not blink or flinch once as the aftershock of the explosion sent a sizeable amount of wind past them. While the ANBU officer fought to keep his balance the only thing that moved on the two powerful shinobi was Orochimaru's hair and the Hokage's robes.

"Hokage-sama!"

"Leave this lecherous traitor to me. Go tend to the civilians."

"Kukukuku… such harsh words for your prized pupil sensei." Orochimaru chuckled as he eyes became as cold as ice as he finally revealed his snake-like grin as he stepped closer. The ANBU tensed up as he reached for a kunai.

"Leave!" the Hokage demanded. The ANBU turned around and shook his head. The Kage was not only the most powerful shinobi of the village, but also the heart of and soul. He knew he could not afford to allow the snake-sanin to get his way. "That was an order!" The Hokage yelled at his subordinate to emphasize his seriousness. Reluctantly the ANBU officer nodded his compliance with the order and shushined off.

"Now that we are finally alone, sensei, care to follow me to a more secluded place?"

"Lead the way… Today will be the day I finally atone for my mistake of letting you live." the Sandaime stared at his former student as he leaped to the top of the stadium. He quickly followed, knowing that this fight may very well be his last. But his determination was set on taking the sanin along with him.

**II**

Naruto couldn't understand what was going on. Things went from Yugito and him sharing their first kiss due to his victory over the Uchiha to pure pandemonium. Explosions resounded through the entire stadium as debris flew everywhere. Yugito gripped Naruto tightly as he hid her inside his coat to prevent any of the dust from the concrete getting in her eyes. Naruto glanced up toward the top of the stadium to see the sight of an army of sand and sound shinobi invading. His confusion quickly dispersed as he realized their intention by watching them literally slaughter several civilians who were unfortunate enough to be in their vicinity when they landed. Naruto reached his hand out to grab Anima but as he moved his arm he let out a loud cry of pain. His body was badly damaged due to his epic battle with his rival.

All of a sudden, his mother landed in front of him with her red hair dancing in the breeze of wind created from the many explosions that were continuing to go off. She turned her head and glanced at Naruto and Yugito as a large smile grew on her face. She walked over to Anima and picked it up while turning her attention towards the many shinobi that were closing in on their position.

"Ne, Naru-chan… It's time for mommy to show you how it's really done. And I had just bought this kimono too!" With one gallant swing of Anima, Kushina had created a large wave of wind and water mixed chakra that ripped apart all the shinobi that had surrounded them. Naruto could not believe what he was seeing. His Kaze Tsunami was only large enough to cover maybe a distance of two or three yards tops, yet to manage to create a wave that covered the entire diameter of the stadium in one swing... Suddenly the sky turned pitch black as it began to rain kunai.

"Amateurs…" Kushina loosened her grip on Anima and began to twirl in like a propeller as he gradually began to pick up speed, soon becoming almost invisible. With each rotation Anima began to generate a loud hum that was almost soothing to one's ear. But what it did was nothing short of devastating as it created a tornado of wind that sucked in the kunai and sent them back to where they came from. There was no question that Kushina was strong but Naruto had no clue that she was this strong.

Naruto reached in his jacket for a kunai but Yugito gripped his wrist tightly.

"Yu-chan, make sure our Naru-chan stays out of this fight!" Kushina winked at her as she continued to rip at the shinobi that attacked her. Yugito's respect for the woman never ceased to grow as she continued to watch her. It almost felt like she had been adopted by the mother she had only dreamt of having, and it was all thanks to the blonde shinobi that she was now holding in her arms. She glanced down at Naruto's hand, grabbed the kunai from it and gripped the handle tightly.

"Hai!" Yugito launched the kunai directly into a sand nin who had managed to get past Kushina's relentless assault.

"But Yugito-chan…" Yugito giggled silently to herself as she turned her head to face her lover with a stern look on her face. She had to admit it, but he was quite cute when he whined, but she now wanted to do the thing he had been doing for her since she had stepped foot in Konohagakure; and that was to protect him.

"Promise me you won't fight, Naruto-kun. Let me and Kushina-san take care of this." Naruto stared into her eyes and could not help but to bow down to her seriousness. The expression on her face said it all, she was determined to protect him, nomatter how much he protested. So despite his true feelings, he decided to give in to her demands and sit this one out.

'Regina-san… You think you could possible hurry the hell up and heal me?' Kyuubi sighed at his rudeness.

'**Though I appreciate you for at least giving me some respect and calling me by my real name, IF IT WASN'T FOR ME YOUR BLONDE ASS WOULD BE DEAD! WHAT THE HELL HAVE I BEEN DOING THIS ENTIRE TIME!' **Kyuubi began to pant for air as she calmed herself down. '**I'm just as tired as you, kit, if not more. Give me some time here, besides, it looks like your mother and your lil' vixen have this thing covered.' **Naruto sighed at her attempt to tease him, he did know it was coming though since he had just experience his first kiss and all. But his mind quickly wandered to the reason why shinobi from Suna where attacking alongside Oto, he thought they were supposed to be their only allies.

Naruto snapped out of his trance just in time to see an after-image of Yugito, as her speed picked up to mimic that of lightning to strike down the weaker nin that got close to them. As much as he enjoyed watching those two fight to protect him, he still did not like the fact that his most precious of people were fighting for him instead of the other way around. He considered himself a protector, but a protector can't protect if they are forced to watch from the sidelines.

**III**

Kakashi had been watching the entire fight between his two students from a far distance. He did not want to show favoritism to any of them and hated that he secluded himself from Naruto and Sakura, but due to Sasuke's condition he had to make sure that Orochimaru wouldn't try to get him. He could not believe how much Naruto had grown over the thirty days that had been given before their fight. Seeing Naruto use futon and suiton as a genin was a huge shocker for the infamous copy nin. He now had two students who had already discovered their second element and used them the way that only Jonin could do, it was actually one of the requirements to becoming one.

Naruto had even managed to use a jutsu that even he had never heard of before. But judging by the fact that he most likely had been trained by his mother, it was most likely an extinct jutsu of the former whirlpool country.

As he watched Naruto claim victory over Sasuke, and even the lips of the ex-cloud nin, he was more than proud of the blonde enigma. But what had happened next even he had not expected. He never truly trusted Suna, but never imagined them to join the leagues of Orochimaru and attack their village. He quickly rushed to the aid to the civilians killing off several nin in the process.

"It's good that the flames of youth still burn brightly within you my eternal rival!!" Kakashi turned around with a very tired expression on his face as he watched Might Gai kick a sand nin completely through the wall and shine his sparkling bright teeth at him.

"… Just make sure the civilians are evacuated, Gai…" Gai raised his hand and flashed his patented good-guy pose as he sent a powerful blow to another nin, shattering countless bones in the process. Kakashi sighed once again as he watched Gai over-do things just like he usually did. He took out several more nin as he made his way through the stadium seats, trying to protect as many civilians as possible. As he got close to the entrance, he ran into both Kurenai and Asuma as they stood back-to-back completely surrounded by the enemy. But the two easily fought their way out of the situation as they pointed more villagers towards the exit.

"Kakashi! Where the hell have you been?" The red eyed kunoichi yelled at Kakashi as she caught sight of the copy nin. Kakashi stabbed his kunai into a sand nin as he glanced up at her with his one eye.

"Busy…" Asuma sighed as he signalled for more civilians to move through the exit. This was also when all three Jonin caught sight of Kushina taking out several nin with ease, wielding that giant sword that Naruto had been using. Kakashi was forced to leap up in the air just to avoid a wave of chakra that had just ripped apart over twenty shinobi that were trying to attack her.

"Monster…" The red eyed kunoichi stared at the red head with disbelief written all over her face. She couldn't believe how strong Kushina was, she was easily stronger than her and Asuma and possibly stronger than Kakashi and Gai.

"Don't worry about her and make sure we clear this stadium. Kakashi, you and Gai should join the other chuunin in fighting them back. Leave the evacuation to us." Kakashi nodded his reply to Asuma's request as he joined a few Chuunin who were being pushed to their limits by the wave of attacks. Asuma glanced down at Kushina and shook his head.

"Good thing she's on our side, for now, at least…" Kurenai nodded as she went back to making sure the civilians were moving at a fast enough pace.

With all the Jonin and Chuunin fighting off the attacking nin and helping the civilians escape; Iruka organized a small group of Chuunin to run over to the medical ward and make sure all the injured made it out safely. They took the first exit they could find that lead to the insides of the stadium and the many hallways. The medical ward was on the other side and they knew they had to make it before it was too late.

As Iruka made a left turn, his group was greeted by several sound nin standing in their way. Not wanting to ask any questions or even make demands for them to move, Iruka launched several shuriken at the shinobi. Several of them were deflected with ease but a handful met their mark. Even though it looked like it from the outside, it wasn't a random throw. Each shuriken was thrown with the intention of puncturing its victim in one of their vital points. So the handful that made it through were deadly, killing the unfortunate shinobi. The Chuunin behind Iruka finished off the remaining nin as they continued toward to the medical ward.

As they finally made it to the other side of the stadium, they had walked right into a deadly genjutsu. Instead of the cold and dark hallways that they had grown use to, in their place were flames and fire demons. Many of the Chuunin began to panic and were picked off easily as they tried to escape their fiery fates. Iruka was one of the first to break through the genjutsu and kill the shinobi responsible for the genjutsu.

Iruka was a man on a mission, finally showing the skills that had lead him to become the well-known Chuunin of today. After a few more scuffles, he managed to finally make it to the medical ward with about three of the original eleven Chuunin at his side. Iruka quickly surveyed the area and noticed that a lot of the genin who were there earlier had been cleared and transfered to the hospital. The only ones who remained were Sasuke and the cloud kunoichi due to her sensei being missing.

Despite her condition, she was up and well aware of what was going on outside; though she did not know to the exact degree. She knew it was a war out there, she just didn't know who it was between and why. Sasuke, on the other hand, was still unconscious as he lay in the bed next to her. With half of her bandaged up, she used her only available eye to look over at the raven-haired boy with great curiosity. There was an ominous presence about him but she could not place her finger on what it was.

"Who is in charge?" The kunoichi was thrown out of her trance as Iruka began to search for the head medical nin in the ward. A lot of the medical nin glanced back at an older man dressed in a white lab coat with a pair of glasses on.

"How can I help you, Iruka-san?"

"Are you aware of the situation outside?" The man nodded as he looked at his staff.

"We have been slowly and secretly transferring our patients to the hospital where there are several ANBU officers on guard. With you here, we should be able to move the rest and the medical nin to the hospital safely ahead of schedule."

**IV**

On the outside, Uchiha Sasuke looked like he was sleeping peacefully as he lay unconscious on his medical bed. But on the inside, it was almost as if he had died and gone to hell. The images he did not want to relive were forcing their way into his mind.

…**..Dreamscape…..**

A single raven haired boy sat on the ground as hot tears continued to run down his cheeks. How long had he been crying, he did not know; but he knew it had to be a very long time since his eyes were burning. Why was he alone? Where were his parents?

"Otou-san? Okaa-san? Where are you?" The young boy finally decided to get up and venture around in the baron town that he was abandoned in. He couldn't remember when he came there or why he was there, the only thing he did know was that he had to find his parents. Everything would be alright if he found his parents. But when he found them, his earlier assumptions were far from the truth. A truth that he never wanted to even think about at his age. There they were, lying on the floor in their own blood as their bodies were completely mutilated. The only way he could make out that they where his parents were, was thanks to the fact that their faces were the only things that were left intact. Screams could be heard from all around him, but he could not figure out where they were coming from. That was until he approached a mirror and saw an image of him screaming with the expression of fear and panic written all over his face.

A dark silhouette walked up behind in the mirror which quickly caused him to turn around, but there was no one there. He turned back to the mirror to see the same shadowy figured staring at him with his crimson red eyes. Those eyes… they tormented him so much when he stared into them to the point that he dropped to his knees and began to scream even louder. He clamped his eyes shout trying to force out the memories of his dead parents and the taunting red eyes that had been burned into his memory.

"Why are you still weak?" The boy, despite his own constant screaming, heard the strange voice clearly as he opened his eyes. That was when he noticed that all the colors around him began to dissolve as they left black and white in their place. The boys' first thoughts were to run, but his legs… they just wouldn't move when he wanted them to. He looked up at the mirror and watched as the shadow reached through the mirror and grabbed his collar, lifting him several feet off the ground.

"Why are you still weak? Do you not want to avenge their meaningless deaths? Or have you lost all of your Uchiha pride?" The boy forced his eyes closed as he covered his ears, hoping to drown out the shadow's voice. But the image of his eyes would not leave his mind no matter how much he tried to force it out. Suddenly he felt a second hand from behind pull him away from the shadows. The boy opened his eyes and glance behind him to see a snake glare down at him.

"Seek me… I will give you power, strength beyond anything you thought possible. All you have to do is give into your desires and seek me…" the boy nodded his head as the color of his world return to his sight as the shadow behind him disappeared.

…**..End Dreamscape….**

"Sasuke?" Iruka was standing over his body when the Uchiha finally awoke from his coma-like sleep. The cloud kunoichi was standing behind the leaf Chuunin with her interest in the boy growing even more. She was watching the cursed mark on his neck spread out of control as he slept and figured that was the source of the ominous chakra she felt earlier. "Can you walk?" Sasuke looked up at the man and nodded. He quickly grabbed both of his katana that lay to his side and sheathed them as he slid the sheath strap around his back.

"What is going on?" the Uchiha surveyed his surroundings and noticed the sense of urgency and panic in the atmosphere. Iruka placed his hand on the genin's shoulder in hopes of calming him down a little.

"We are currently under attack. We are evacuating all civilians and injured from the stadium to a safer position. How are your injuries? There is no need to push yourself since we have two more Chuunin to help with the operation." Sasuke nodded as the cloud kunoichi glanced to the side, wondering what she should do now. But she was snapped out of her thoughts when a loud explosion sent waves of flames into the room, killing several medical nin that were close to the door.

"Move to the second exit now! We'll cover you!" One of the two Chuunin said as they forced Iruka to stay with the group. Iruka quickly complied with their demands and bowed his head to show them respect before his group exited the room. In a matter of seconds, the room was filled with sand and sound nin completely overwhelming the two Chuunin who had stayed back to slow down their opponents long enough for Iruka and the others to escape.

As soon as they got to the hallway, they were greeted by yet another group of nin with deadly intentions. Iruka stepped to the front and pulled out a kunai. Knowing he was obviously out-numbered, his resolve was already solid. He ordered the others to continue on and let him deal with them. They all left but the Uchiha and the cloud kunoichi.

"What are you two doing?" Sasuke ignored his question and pulled out both his katana and entered his battle stance.

'_What the hell am I doing!? That is a hell of a good question!' _Ty could not really understand why she decided to stay with the two leaf nin despite not having any real relation with the two. She quickly grabbed her head when a sharp pinch of pain struck her hard.

"Fall back and let me take care of this. Both of you are injured and too weak…" before Iruka could complete his sentence Sasuke had already charged ahead of him and began to do combat with the attacking nin. It was almost as plain as day to see that the Uchiha was far from healed as all his wounds begun to reopen. But despite that fact, he continued to fight back the enemy with every ounce of strength he had left.

'_Why am I so weak…?' _Sasukes frustration was reaching a boiling point as he pushed back several attacks from his aggressors. The haunting nightmare he had, continued to plague his thoughts as he leapt backwards, avoiding another swipe from one of the nin's kunai. Iruka decided to take that as an opening to launch a counter-attack by slinging his kunai directly into the windpipe of said nin, killing him in a matter of seconds. After a few more minutes, Sasuke and Iruka had managed to fend off their attackers, but both were now on the brink of losing consciousness due to exhaustion.

'**Seek me… Seek power...' **the cursed seal began to burn as Sasuke fell to one knee. Iruka knelt down to check up on the genin, it was strange how he was able to fight at such a level with the amount of injuries he had sustained from his battle with Naruto.

"Don't move Sasuke, just relax." Iruka turned around and gave Sasuke the signal to get on his back. Sasuke gritted his teeth because of the humiliation he felt due to the fact that he needed help from another.

'**It's because you are so weak… Kill him now!' **The cursed seal began to spin as the pain increased almost tenfold as Sasuke bit down on his tongue causing the blood to fill up in his mouth. The more he fought his urges the more the pain seemed to increase causing him to close his eyes. '**He will only stand in our way. KILL HIM NOW AND SEEK ME… POWER IS WHAT YOU DESIRE, IT IS WHAT YOU NEED. SEEK ME AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE YOUR DESIRES!'**

"Get on, Sa…" before Iruka could finish his sentence he felt two sharp implements penetrate his back and push all the way through to his stomach. He turned his head to the side to catch a glimpse of Sasuke with his sharingan active, but with a major difference from the sharingan users of the past. Instead of a crimson red, there was a dark purple in its place. "Why..?" was the only thing that Iruka could force out as he completely collapsed to the ground.

Now that Sasuke had finally given in to the desires of the cursed seal, all of his pain had disappeared. He stood up as he ripped his two blades from his former sensei's' back and flicked off the blood with a slight twist of his wrists. With a sinister smirk on his face Sasuke, stepped over Iruka's lifeless body and pulled off his forehead protector before dropping it to his side. As he returned his katana to their sheaths, he felt someone grab his wrist tightly. He slightly turned his head and glared at the kunoichi who he knew nothing about and contemplated whether he should kill her right now or not.

"Take me with you…" the kunoichi stared at him directly in his purple eyes with an intense amount of determination behind them. Sasuke snatched his hand from her grip and placed it on the handle of one of his katana.

"You would only slow me down, and tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now..." Ty's body instantly tensed up as she activated her Kaden no Jutsu without even going through the required hand seals.

"You do know that you are not the only person in this sick world that has someone they wish to kill." Sasuke eyes widened as he released his grip on his katana and completely turned around. "What? Surprised that I knew that you were an 'avenger'? I have been on a quest to find the people responsible for the death of my parents and repay them using the exact same methods they used on them… those bastards…" her eyes became red from frustration and pain as she held her head down. "And if I were to slow you down then I would give you my head myself. But that does not mean I would not take yours if you slowed me down." the killer intent that was evident in her voice caused Sasuke to back up a little before making up his mind.

"Fine… but where I'm going will make hell look like a wonderful place." Ty only smiled as walked up to his side.

"Sounds like fun."

**V**

Kushina had just finished off the last group of shinobi as the rest had already moved to the forest of Konoha to join in with the rest, where the bulk of the war had shifted to. Naruto's body had slightly recovered thanks to the Kyuubi but he was now only at around fifteen percent of his former self. The Kyuubi was also struggling to regain her own chakra due to the amount of strain Naruto's body had gone through. She was working overtime just to heal him as much as she did.

"Now what?" Naruto asked as he looked over at his mother who was finally beginning to show signs of fatigue as her once beautiful blue kimono had holes and singe marks all over it. Her hair, once wrapped in a bow, now lay in a wild unkempt pattern around her head. Yugito was leaning against the wall breathing heavily as well.

"We wait for the outcome of the war… Remember, I'm not leaving until you're coming with me. And we all know Yu-chan is too attached to you to leave as well." Both Naruto and Yugito blushed slightly as they turned their heads away from Kushina who began to laugh. Even though the three were laughing on the outside, they knew very well the seriousness of the situation. Naruto wanted so badly to aid his comrades but thanks to his condition, he knew he wouldn't be of much help to anyone right now. And the last thing he wanted to become was a liability to everyone.

All of a sudden, there was a strange chakra coming from inside the closest entrance to the inside of the stadium. When Naruto glanced towards the entrance, he saw Sasuke and the cloud kunoichi dash out. As he exited the hallway, Sasuke eyes met with Naruto's and the two stared at each other until Sasuke and Ty began to leap out up in the stadium seats and then head towards the exits.

"Ty…?" Yugito was just as confused as Naruto was about the scene. Kushina walked up to them when they suddenly heard a grunt come from the same entrance as Sasuke and Ty. That was when Naruto saw one of the last things that he had ever wanted to see in his lifetime. There was Iruka with two puncture wounds in his abdomen with blood literally pouring out of them. In his right hand was a Konoha forehead protector. Naruto quickly rushed over to his former sensei and caught him as he collapsed.

"Iruka-sensei! What happened to you?" When Iruka realized that it was his surrogate little brother talking to him, he managed to release a strained smile as he opened his eyes. Yugito and Kushina arrived second as they both dropped to their knees and began to rip pieces of their kimonos and used them as towels as they tried to apply enough pressure to Iruka's wounds to temporary stop the blood from spilling out. At least long enough for them to get some help for him. But he waved them off with the same smile on his face.

"Don't worry about that, it's already too late for me." Naruto's eyes began to burn as he tried to fight back the tears that began to beat upon his eyes.

"What do you mean it's too late!? Keep fighting Iruka-sensei… everything will be alright." Iruka placed a hand on Naruto shoulder and shook his head as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. "You can't leave now… you were the first person who believed in me and my goal of becoming Hokage…" Narutos eyes could no longer hold in his tears as they began to flood down his cheeks.

"Baka… I'll be there when that day happens… I'll always be by your side even if it doesn't feel like it… and I just want to let you know… that I have always been proud of you… and I always will…" This was when Naruto noticed the forehead protector in his hand and his mind instantly flashed back to when he saw Sasuke ran past him. He also recalled that the Uchiha was not wearing his forehead protector and neither was the cloud kunoichi. Naruto's blood began to boil as he started to put two and two together.

"Did Sasuke do this to you?" Kushina gave her son a very surprised look. Such an evil and demented tone did not suit him at all. Iruka only turned his head to the side giving Naruto his silent answer.

"You're strong Naruto… Continue to live your life in the light and all your dreams will be come true…" with a single tear sliding off his cheek his auburn eyes glazed over as his soul passed on to the next life. Naruto could no longer contain his pain and anger as tears wouldn't stop coming; his body began to shake uncontrollably. Yugito gave him a warm embrace as Kushina began to rub his back.

'**Naruto…' **that was when it happened, something snapped within Naruto, causing the seal that bound the Kyuubi within him to loosen. '**Naruto… get a hold of yourself now! Don't allow my chakra to overwhelm you!' B**ut it was already too late for Naruto to heed her warnings. The youkai chakra began to feed upon his anger and pain as his chakra began to pulsate. Kushina was the first to realize this as she pulled Yugito back just in time as Naruto's body literally exploded with a violent crimson chakra.

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto's body was giving off a massive amount of youkai chakra as the chakra began to burn everything it touched as it continued to grow in size. Naruto reared his head back and let out a terrifying roar as his whisker birthmarks began to deepen and blood began to drip from them. His canines began to extend as his nails became claws. He hunched over on all fours as the violent chakra shifted to a vibrant silver as two tails of chakra began to form. His once cerulean eyes were now a cold grey shade with black slits instead his normal round pupils. The wild chakra of the Kyuubi began to mix in with the wind around it as it grew even more in volume. Yugito began to run to her love but was pulled back by Kushina. Yugito jolted her around and looked at her with an expression that asked why.

"Right now Naru-chan has gone berserk… the last thing he needs on his conscious is your death by his own hands." Yugito snatched her hand from Kushina's grip.

"Then what are we going to do?!" Tears were now flowing down Yugito's face as she tried to contain her own emotions. She knew more than anybody the pain he was going through and the toll his body was taking with the youkai taking over him.

"The only person who can stop him now without hurting him is…" before she could finish her sentence Naruto leapt completely out of the stadium in the direction where the war was being held.

'_I just hope he gets to him in time before he does something he'd never forgive himself for.' W_ere Kushina last thoughts as she watch her son dash off.

**VI**

The forces of Konohagakure were having a hard time just standing, let alone fending off the invading army. It was hard enough to fight against one army, but when you throw in a second army, then the burden becomes heavier. Things were beginning to look incredibly grim for the village as their morale and numbers began to dwindle. All of a sudden there was a violent burst of youkai chakra that sent such a strong murderous intent that a lot of the shinobi on the battlefield froze up in shock. The majority of the shinobi from Konoha recognized this terrible feeling in their guts, it was almost the exact same feeling that they felt over twelve years ago. Some of the nin began to panic because they had never felt such a malicious chakra before.

Kakashi's mind instantly moved over to Naruto. He knew something must have happened to him, which caused the seal to weaken to this point. He pulled back from his fight and moved over to the side as he sensed that the youkai chakra was heading in their direction. He could only hope he could help Naruto gain control over the seal before it was too late.

Suddenly, a large burst of wind exploded in the middle of the field killing the majority of sand and sound nin while also killing a few leaf nin that had advanced that far. When Kakashi glanced up at the akuma, he could see the pain and torment that was evident in Naruto's eyes. It was more than scary to see the amount of wind the dangerous chakra was giving out. The force of the wind that was coming from the boy was on par with large hurricanes.

Some of the attacking nin decided to take down the akuma since it adorned the forehead protector of Konoha. But that would turn out to be one of the greatest mistakes they had ever made. Naruto's chakra tails began to move as if they had minds of their own and started to rip and skewer the nin who were behind him, catching all three sides of the war in the process. Naruto slanted his head towards the direction of the invading army and opened his mouth; a large burst of wind, the size of a sixth of Konoha ripped through the remaining forces. This was when the Jonin of both the Suna and Oto armies who were in charge decided that it was now the perfect time to retreat.

This was also when Kakashi decided to make his own move as he began to run up to his student.

"Naruto?! What's wrong?" Kakashi was treading on thin ice and he knew it.

"**WHERE IS HE?!" T**he sound of his voice gave Kakashi a slight chill down his spine. The boy's voice had a dark demonic tone to it as his eyes felt like they were piercing his soul.

"Where is who, Naruto?"

"**SASUKE!!" **Kakashi was taking back by hearing the Uchiha's name.

"What happened?" Kakashi saw Jiriaya in the corner of his eye and decided to keep Naruto dead-centered on him. When he turned back to the boy, he noticed that his eyes were crying crimson tears of blood as he held his head down.

"**HE… KILLED IRUKA-SENSEI!"** Kakashi couldn't believe what he had just heard, Iruka dead? That would explain why Naruto was in his berserk state. Suddenly, Jiraiya leaped in front of Naruto and forcefully placed a seal on his forehead. The seal began to compress the youkai chakra back within him as Naruto fell unconscious, Kakashi caught him before he collapsed to the ground.

"We need to hurry up and hide him. There's no telling how long it will take the village to go on a rampage once they find out about this. They will quickly ignore the fact that he literally won the battle all by himself." Kakashi nodded his head as he began to head back towards the village looking for the boy's mother. The ninja from both Suna and Oto who participated in the attack would from that day on refer to the blond shinobi as the Kaze no Kitsune, due to the amount of wind that seemed to just circle his body and his fox like features. Unbeknownst to Kakashi or Naruto, a new legend was being born that would surpass that of the Copy-nin's.

**VII**

During the explosions, the ceiling of the waiting area caved in, forcing its occupants to move into the hallway. Unfortunately for them, the closest exit for them was destroyed along with the room.

"What the hell is going out there?" Shikamaru's patience was beginning to run thin as he lent up against the wall of the hallway. He glanced over at the sandy blonde kunoichi expecting a reply as if she already knew what was happening.

"Shinobi from both Suna and Oto are attacking Konoha right now."

"Nani!?" Both Sakura and Hinata were almost floored with that comment. Shikamaru only sighed as deep down inside he knew the answer; he just did not want to admit it.

"But I thought…"

"That Konoha and Suna were allies? Alliances in the shinobi world only go as deep as the benefits for each side. The Kazekage felt that an alliance with Otogakure along with the destruction of Konoha would have more benefits than the previous alliance." Temari interrupted Hinata as she stared up at the ceiling.

"You speak as if you agree with that choice!" Sakura shouted as she clinched her fist.

"Do you honestly think I am enjoying this? Unlike some people here, I actually wanted to be promoted to Chuunin status. When the Kazekage, who is also your father makes a decision, who are you to disagree with said decision? If your Hokage had made the exact same choice, would you have been able to argue it?" Temari's words silenced all potential arguments that would have come up from the two leaf genin. Shikamaru released a loud yawn as he rose up off of the wall.

"Well, with that settled, let's try to figure out how we will get out of here, together." Shikamaru added some emphasis to 'together' in his sentence.

"It seems pineapple head has a brain after all." Temari smirked a little bit to herself as she began to walk to his side.

"Hold up! Why should we not kill you if we are at war with your village?" Hinata's words caught both Shikamaru and Sakura off guard. The once shy and timid girl was now threatening someone.

"Do what you want… just don't think I won't hesitate to kill you if you attack me."

"Hey… lets just drop this for now and get going…" Shikamaru stepped in between the two kunoichi, hoping to quell the potential fight between the two. He knew that he would need both of them to figure out a way out of their situation alive. Suddenly Temari let out a loud gasp. "What now…" Shikamaru turned his head towards the kunoichi.

"Where's Gaara…?"

**VIII**

Kushina and Yugito were currently outside of the stadium and heading in the direction Naruto headed off in. Yugito's mind was still stuck on Naruto's well being. She did not like seeing the strongest person mentally and emotionally in her life in this much pain. She wanted so badly to free him of his troubles but she had no clue on how to do this. But she did not care about that, she knew she would figure out something once she saw him again.

Yugito was so captivated in her own thoughts that she did not notice the large hand of sand swipe at her until Kushina grabbed her and pulled her out of the way.

"Woman… you have the Nibi no Nekomata sealed within you, don't you?" an emotionless voice was heard coming from the top of a near by building catching both kunoichi's attention. Yugito's body instantly tensed up as she glared at the red head.

"We really don't have time to play with you, kid… maybe when you get older." Kushina turned her back towards the sand nin and began to walk off.

"This does not concern you, wench..." Kushina's composure quickly shifted from cool and collective to rage.

"Alright then, kid! You're…" Before she could finish Yugito stuck her hand out in front of her.

"I will not allow you to talk about my mother that way…" Kushina sighed as she calmed down and decided she would let the two jinchuuriki fight it out. She was flattered though that Yugito considered her as her mother.

"Ahh… Kids…"


	18. Chapter 18: Neko Always Land on Feet

**Author's Notes: Really, really trouble sorry for the late update. Got caught up in the real world with finals and this cold but everything should return back to its weekly update pattern now that I'm done with finals.**

**I'm also sure a lot of you guys have been wondering why I have been writing the past couple of chapters in third person instead of Naruto's first person view; well the reason for that is because there was just to much stuff happen at once that I would have to leave out if I wrote that way the duration of the time.**

**Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint and thanks for patiently waiting.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Eighteen: Neko Always Land on Their Feet

The cold expression on Gaara's mask made it hard to read what his true intentions were, but Yugito knew she didn't have time to play that guessing game now. She knew that she would have to finish this fight quick and find Naruto. The blonde shinobi was her biggest concern at the moment and almost wanted to just ignore the red-head that was staring at her. But she also had the feeling that this sand nin wouldn't let her go so easily.

Yugito slightly bent her knees. The only thing left in her place was an after-image, which caught Gaara off-guard a little bit until she reappeared beside him and launched a kick to the side of his head. His eyes popped open out of shock, not expecting her to be that fast, but thanks to his sand he was unharmed since it managed to deflect her initial attack. Yugito quickly launched a counter-attack by sending two more kicks while she was still suspended in air, but each attack was met with the same results as the first one.

As she began her descent, Gaara went on the offensive as a large wave of sand was sent at the kunoichi. Yugito was almost in a helpless situation as the sand collided with her body, sending her crashing to the ground. Gaara's mask slightly shifted to one of pleasure until he saw her land safely on her feet as if the attack had no effect, before he knew it, she was yet again attacking. This time she launched several shuriken at him and disappeared once again. Gaara's sand blocked the shuriken with ease but was barely quick enough to block Yugito's kick. Unlike before, Yugito allowed herself to land on the roof of the building where Gaara was standing on instead of trying to force her way through his defense. For the first time, she saw something on the boy's face that slightly disturbed her, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"I underestimated your ability, a mistake I will not make twice… It is time for your death, the Shukaku craves your blood!" this was when Yugito realized that her opponent was not a sane one. He had allowed the akuma inside of him to take control of his personality and completely warp him. At first she thought that this would be an opponent better suited for Naruto, but that's when she stopped herself; the thought of Naruto becoming the same thing as the sand nin in front of her made her lose concentration on the battle.

"What the hell are you doing, Yu-chan?!" Yugito snapped out of her trance just in time to see a wave of sand slap her off the building and sending her plummeting to the ground. At the last minute, Yugito's natural reflexes kicked in as she yet again landed on her feet. "Don't worry about Naru-chan, I'm sure the kid will be alright. Unfortunately, he has lived through worst, take care of this psycho first and then we take care of our blonde baka!" Yugito glanced over at her surrogate mother and smiled. She then shot an angry glare at the sand nin as he now wore an annoyed look on his face.

The cork on Gaara's gourd popped off as more sand began to flow out of it. The new sand form into giant hands and began to punch at Yugito. She was forced to evade the attacks by using her superior speed. She knew she could not just keep dodging his attacks and hope he tired out. As she did a back flip dodging another hand of sand, she began to go through a set of hand seals, when she landed on her feet she finished the last seal.

"Katon: Kazangansen Genkotsu no Jutsu!" Both of Yugito's hands began to glow a vibrant reddish orange. As the sand continued to come at her, she stood her ground and blocked the attack with her right hand, causing the sand to sizzle and burn.

'_Naruto-kun is not only one who has gotten stronger over the thirty days.' _She shot another angry glare at her opponent as she started to go through another set of hand seals, Gaara's anger was beginning to take the control of him as his frustration continued to rise.

"Katon: Kazangansen Ashi no Jutsu!" This time both of Yugito's legs lit up like her hands as she yet again went on the offensive, her speed literally warped her to Gaara's and landed a powerful kick that burnt it's way through Gaara's sand guard, finally landing a direct hit to his face. His second line of defense came into to play as the sand that covered Gaara's entire body began to crack. That did not cause Yugito to let up on her attack as she quickly followed up with a barrage of punches and kicks that was almost impossible to see thanks to the speed she was using. The only obviously visible thing was the streaks of red that collided with Gaara's helpless body. She finally finished up her combo with a high kick to Gaara's chin, sending him flying off the roof and to the ground. Gaara's first layer of protection came into effect and cushioned his fall as the sand nin now sported black burn marks all over his body as the second layer of protection continued to crack and fall off of him in a pile of black sand.

Yugito leaped down to the ground and walked over towards the Guinea pig of her newest jutsu and began to survey the damage that she caused. The inner youkai within her literally began to scream as she quickly created some distance between her and the sand nin. She didn't understand what was going on but her instincts told her to create as much room as possible between the two. It was almost as if the Nibi was actually trying to communicate with her.

The barrage of attacks that the kunoichi had landed on him had been the last straw of his sanity. The Shukaku had finally had enough of his container's inability to satisfy his craving and started the process of completely taking over. Gaara's body slowly rose to its feet with the help of the sand around it.

Even though Yugito had created a fair distance between the two, she still could see the expression the red-head wore, it was one of pure insanity. That was when she recognized the expression on his face; it was almost the same as Naruto's when the Kyuubi's youkai took control of him. She knew she was no longer fighting the sand nin but the bijuu itself. She watched as Gaara's right side of his body began to be covered with sand as he started to pant uncontrollably. Yugito's clinched her fist tightly as the flames that had engulfed them began to intensify. She knew she was about to be in trouble if she didn't do anything quick.

**II**

Even though Naruto, in his Kaze no Kitsune form, managed to wipe out a large portion of the invading forces, the war was still going on. But with the Konoha army taking the advantage of the numbers that now played in their favor, they started to take the upper hand. The war continued to act as a cover for Kakashi and Jiraiya as they searched for Naruto's mother. They both had decided that with the new change of events that it would be wise for them to finally make their departure from Konohagakure no Sato.

"Do you have a clue on why the seal is beginning to weaken, Jiraiya-sama?" Jiraiya stopped running just as they were about to approach the village gates. "Is anything the matter?" Jiraiya shook his head and rose up the shirt of the unconscious Uzumaki as he was studying the seal personally.

"It does seem that the seal has been altered slightly, but by whom, I cannot say…" Jiraiya sat Naruto down on the ground and began to go through a series of hand seals until his hands began to glow. He placed his hand over Naruto's belly button area and watched as the seal that Naruto's father, the Yondaime, created reappear with even newer markings than when he last saw it. "It is not weakening, but changing."

"Changing? In what way?" Kakashi walked over to Naruto and began to examine him himself to see what Jiraiya was talking about. When he caught a glimpse of the seal he noticed that the seal had some sort of ancient writing on it that never had appeared there before. "Those are the same markings that are tattooed to his arms now."

"Nani?!"

"You didn't know about them?" Jiraiya quickly pulled up the sleeve of Naruto's right arm and noticed the exact same markings that were on his seal trail all the way up the blonde shinobi's arm.

"When did you first see them?"

"During one of his fights in the preliminaries. I asked him about it, but he only avoided the question. I had been hoping you would have been able to explain to _me_ what they meant." Jiraiya pulled up his left sleeve and saw the same pattern as well and let out a loud sigh.

"These seals are more advanced than anything that even I've seen. It's possible that these markings are older than ninjutsu is."

"How is it possible that Naruto now has them on his body? Could Orochimaru have done this?"

"No… Even though I don't know precisely know how much stronger the damn hebi bastard has improved since we last met, I do know that his ability and knowledge of seals never exceeded mines. There is only one person or thing that could have done this to Naruto; and that would be the Kyuubi itself."

"How is that possible? What is the purpose for these new seals?"

"These new seals seem to be increasing the amount of youkai chakra that is being absorbed into Naruto's own chakra, but at a more controlled rate. But the markings on Naruto's original seal, I don't quite understand why they are there. I guess that is something we will have to force the gaki to tell use when he wakes up."

**III**

"Hey kit… kit… KIT! Wake your ass up!"

"I'm up, I'm up… Geez. You don't have to yell, I have a major headache right now." Naruto once again was inside his mind-scape but instead of the dungeon like area where he usual was when he visited her, he was in the a of flowers as he laid on his back and staring up at the clouds. To his left laid Kyuubi, doing the same thing as he. "So why am I here? And where is here? What happened to all the flames and dungeons and etc.?"

"Just relax for a sec, kit… let the cool breeze calm your nerves down." Not really in the mood for arguing with her right now, he decided to comply without any resistance. As the wind began to blow, he felt all his worries escape him as he began to relax finally. He looked over to his right and wished Yugito was there with him to share this tranquillity. That was when Kyuubi rose up and punched him square in the face.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

"DON'T YOU EVER PULL A DUMB ASS STUNT LIKE THAT AGAIN!! YOU ALMOST KILLED US BOTH BY ALLOWING MY CHAKRA TO TAKE OVER YOUR SENSES!!"

"Well it is your chakra so why couldn't you stop it? And what the hell happened to me?"

"I told you already, kit, that I don't have control over the amount of chakra you take from me anymore, the animal instincts took over your senses, making you more like a rabid kitsune wanting to take revenge for the death of her kits."

"Iruka-sensei…" The Kyuubi landed another punch to his already bruised face causing blood to gush out.

"STOP DOING THAT!!"

"I understand you are in pain right now, kit, but you are going to have to move on. That is the life of a shinobi, isn't it? Nothing is guaranteed when you decided to live the life that you chose. You knew there would be risks, you also knew there would be casualties on both sides, yet you made your mind up still about becoming a shinobi. If you let things as common as death get to you then I think you should just give up now."

"But…"

"No buts here… I'm sure Iruka wouldn't want you dwelling on his death like this. This is all a part of the job, so either deal with it or die, baka!" Naruto lowered his head and began to think on what she had just said to him. "Besides, I do have good news for you too, kit… See this area we are now? I finally came up with the solution that will solve our problem of us being absorbed into one. But it would require that ero-sennin of yours to help me as well, since he seemed to be knowledgeable about seals."

"Nani..?"

"Were you even listening…?" Naruto nodded his head as he continued to give her a blank stare. She shook her head and sighed to herself. "Well anyway there is no guarantee the process will be successful, but it's the only thing we have at the current time. Which is dwindling with every passing day."

"So we are going to have to do this quickly then? What happens if it fails?"

"We both die…" she stared at the blonde shinobi trying to read his facial expression. When they both were in his mindscape, she no longer had access to his thoughts.

"Heh… figured it would be like that. Oh, well, we will just have to hope that it works then." The smile he wore on his face caught her off-guard. She couldn't believe how much her little baka kitsune had matured right before her eyes. "Besides, if we die then I would annoy you to death in hell for suggesting this plan." Kyuubi matched his smile with one of her own as she punched him once again. "What the hell?!"

"Time to wake up, kit."

**IV**

Kushina started to stand up, dusted off her ripped up kimono and grabbed the handle of Anima before walking towards the deranged jinchuuriki. Yugito suddenly stepped in front of her with her back facing her.

"Don't worry, Kushina-san… I can do this."

"That's not the problem; I just don't want you to end up like those two baka. I understand you have a bijuu sealed within you, but it's not an excuse to let it consume you… Lucky for us, our baka moment of insanity was only temporary while this one here, it seems that he may never had had control of his mind."

"I won't allow the Nibi to control me, Kushina-san. I can do this without relying on that neko for help."

"Don't get me wrong, I didn't say that. I just said don't allow it to control you, control it." With that said, Kushina returned to her original resting place as she decided to remain a spectator, but with Anima still in her grasp. She would be ready if Yugito started to lose, either to the sand nin or the Nibi. Yugito gripped her fist tighter as she watched Gaara become covered in more sand. The sand was beginning to take the shape of a tanuki.

Suddenly she was forced to move, as the sands shot at her almost twice as fast as before, she was barely able to escape the sand's grasp. She flipped in the air and used the wall of a nearby building as a jumping board, shooting herself at the possessed nin. But unlike before, she was met with heavy resistance as the sand that was guarding Gaara struck her before she got within an arms length of him. As her attack was deflected, the sand immediately grabbed her by the leg and slammed her head-first into the ground, creating a heavy gash right above her left eye. She let out a loud cry as she tried to fight her way free, but it angered the nin more, as he began to violently bash her body against the ground. In between the vicious beating, Yugito managed to go through a set of hand seals.

"Katon: Kazangansen Shintai no Jutsu!" Yugito's body literally erupted into flames as the sand was forced to release the kunoichi. The very instant the sand released her, she disappeared in a puff of smoke. Gaara's eyes began to quickly scan his surroundings, looking for the kunoichi knowing that was not the last that he would see of her. Suddenly she appeared right beside him, landing a very hard right foot to the left side of his head, sending his body colliding with a building causing the wall around him to cave in on top of him.

"Deyueru Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu!" Not wanting to let up even a little on her attacks, Yugito created two gigantic spheres from the flames that surrounded her body before flinging them towards the building, creating a large explosion that forced Kushina to move back several yards to not get caught in the after shock.

Kushina glanced at the flame-enchanted kunoichi and noticed her breathing was laboured from using that jutsu. Like Naruto, she had just learned these jutsu and was yet to get accustomed to using them, and also like Naruto, these jutsu took a huge toll on the user's body. It was obvious to her that Yugito was also refusing to use her youkai chakra just like Naruto had in his fight with the Uchiha.

Suddenly, the sand underneath all of the debris pushed everything off it as Gaara re-emerged with a whole new form. Similar to how Naruto's wind took the form of a kitsune, Gaara's sand had taken the complete form of a tanuki. Yugito slowly backed up to gain more of a distance between the two, but at this stage of the fight, the distance no longer mattered. The traces of sand that were sprawled all over the ground behind Yugito quickly took shape and grabbed Yugito before slinging her into the building behind her. The god-like reflexes of the kunoichi kicked in as she miraculously landed on her feet and quickly evaded the building as it toppled over. She knew that even though his defense had heightened to a substantial degree, she still had the advantage of speed. She would just have keep him confused until he let his guard down.

"Deyueru Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu!" Yugito yelled, this time not even going through the needed hand seals, as her chakra was now naturally in tune with fire affinity, making it that much easier to call upon her jutsu. As the two fire balls blasted towards the sand nin she hid right behind the one closest to the ground and charged right behind it. As expected, Gaara's absolute defense deflected both attacks but was barely able to match the speed of Yugito as she quickly accelerated and landed a flame-induced barrage of punches and kicks on him. The sand around him began to crumble but only slightly. Gaara sent a heavy back hand at the kunoichi, sending her flying to the side. She managed to land on her feet as the momentum of the attack caused her to slide backwards. She was not allowed to even take a breath as she was forced to evade another swipe from the sand akuma. This time, the force behind the attacks was enough to leave a very large crack in the pavement in its wake. It seemed that he was slowly getting stronger over the fight, while Yugito's speed was slowly decreasing due to the strain her body was undergoing.

"**You truly are a neko… it's really beginning to annoy me how many times I have tossed your body around like a mere rag doll, yet you always land on your feet. But you have to be down to only a couple lives now though." T**he menacing look on his face let Yugito know that it was no longer the container speaking but the demon instead. Four more hands formed from his sides and begin to punch at the kunoichi, forcing her to literally dance around to just sway from harm's way. The reddish orange flames of Yugito began to die down as her chakra was slowly beginning to reach its end. Even her eye sight was beginning to dissipate as she fought to remain conscious. Unfortunately for her, it gave Gaara's sand enough time to sneak up on her and capture her in his trap.

"**Sabaku Kyuu!" **the sand grabbed her entire body and completely covered her as she slowly was lifted from the ground. Kushina quickly recognized the jutsu from during the preliminaries when he easily killed the sound nin that he was up against. She quickly leaped up from her sitting position and began to pump her chakra into Anima. The sudden surge of unfamiliar youkai chakra caused her freeze in her place. The sand that captured Yugito suddenly burst into blue flames as the sand literally began to melt right off of her.

**V**

It seemed thanks to all of the commotion of the battles that were being held all around the stadium, not to mention the battles that were held during the finals, the stadium was beginning to collapse. Shikamaru and the others were forced to quickly tread through the unfamiliar hallways in hopes of finding an escape before they were caught in its destruction.

"Hey, Pineapple head! Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Shikamaru sighed out loud as he grunted his reply. He was trying his best to figure out the layout of the building without having a map, but the constant screaming of the support beams combined with the constant complaints from the blonde sand kunoichi behind him and not to mention the lack of proper lights made this task almost impossible, even for someone of his intelligence.

"If you know the way then feel free to lead the way, troublesome woman…"

"When we do get out of here I swear I'm going to take something from you that will make _you _a troublesome woman!" The threat hit home with Shikamaru but he only ignored it as he continued to try to find a way out.

"Don't just write me off. I still have some questions that I needed answered. I still don't trust you and I can force you to talk if you refuse." Sakura was still trying to getting used to this new Hinata as she looked at her while running.

Temari stopped in her tracks and turned around to face the shorter girl face to face.

"Judging by the bandages you're covered in, you are in no position to be making threats."

"These bandages are only for healing purposes and by no means will they hinder me from taking you down." Hinata's lavender eyes shifted to their transformed state, causing Temari to back up a little bit but still standing her ground. Shikamaru sighed and shaked his head.

"Did we not just go through this earlier, you two? I swear women are going to be the death of me one of these days, hell, maybe even today since I'm surrounded by them in a building that can collapse at any second, yet they choose to fight with each other instead of fleeing for their lives…" Both Hinata and Temari glared over at Shikamaru, who shook off their death stares as if they weren't even looking at him. Years of experience from dealing with his mother and sitting by Ino in the academy awarded him that ability. "Anyways, let's get going, this place could give in any minute now."

Hinata and Temari decided that Shikamaru was right, about the fact that now was not the time to fight with one another. The things he said about women would also have to wait. After running for a few more minutes, they finally found the exit they were desperately searching for, but it only lead to the stadium grounds, where all the fights were held. But they now knew that escape was well within their grasp. As soon as Temari stepped out of the tunnel, her mask shifted to one of pure panic as she dropped to her knees.

"What's wrong?" Sakura walked over to Temari and began to examine her for any injuries.

"Gaara…"

"Huh?"

"Gaara has finally lost control over the Shukaku…"

"What?" Sakura was beyond confused until she sensed it, the very strong and malicious youkai chakra that came from right outside of the stadium.

"What… is that?" Sakura's eyes widened in pure shock as she put two and two together. The sand kunoichi had mentioned that Gaara had lost control over something. She realized that if this was the true power that the sand nin was carrying all this long, then there would have been no way in hell that her, Sasuke, or Naruto could defeat him. It quickly hit her that Naruto could be fighting him right now and allowed her emotions to take hold of her body as she began to run towards the source of the ominous chakra.

"Sakura, wait!" before Shikamaru could stop her she was already leaping into the stands and heading towards the exit. Before he knew it, the sand kunoichi was right behind her with a similar expression on her face. Shikamaru sighed out loud as he glanced over at the Hyuuga.

"We should go after them…"

"Yeah… I know, even if I don't really want to, I still have no choice... so troublesome…" the two genin leaped up in the stands and began to chase after the two kunoichi. When they finally caught up with the two, they noticed that both were standing side by side and their body composure was as tense as could be.

When Shikamaru walked up to them, he suddenly felt a second burst of youkai chakra that caused him to crouch from the pressure.

"What the hell is going on…" he glanced over at Hinata and noticed the malice that glowed in her eyes as she stared at something without even blinking once. He followed her eyes to the source of the formerly timid girl's anger and watched as a big block of sand melted away, revealing the kunoichi that Naruto had hooked up with. Her entire body was on fire with blue flames that were so hot all four of the bystanders began to sweat furiously as their clothes began to emit smoke forcing them all to back up.

"What the hell is she?" Shikamaru was beyond astonished at the amount of heat that she was sending out from her body.

"She is just like Gaara… No, she is actually stronger…" Temari could not pull her eyes away from the blonde as she couldn't believe that Gaara wasn't the only one of his kind. Then she began to think back to the several fights she saw the other blonde nin that this kunoichi had become infatuated with were in, she remembered that he had emitted a similar youkai as well.

Hinata, unlike the rest, was going through a different set of emotions. Her heart was filled with hatred and determination.

'_So this is her true form? The gap was even larger than I originally expected…' _Hinata crouched down and punched the ground with as much chakra she could muster in the short amount of time, creating a large hole in her wake and causing the other three to be pulled out of their trance and stare at her.

"What's wrong Hinata?" Sakura walked over toward the Hyuuga but was forced to back up as her own chakra began to flare up, pushing her back with its pure force.

"I will not lose to her again… I don't care if she is like a monster, I will just have to become one too." The look in her eyes scared Sakura, she didn't know how to approach the girl in that state of mind. Sakura turned her head and looked over at Yugito as the flames began to swirl around her rapidly.

'_Is this why you two are so close, Naruto?'_

**VI**

The Shukaku in Gaara was racing with excitement. He was waiting to test his insane power against a bijuu that was supposed have greater power than that of its own. He would devour the neko and then go after the _greatest_ of their race, the kitsune, and become the strongest. Then all that would be left after, thatl was his quest to quench his thirst for blood.

The flames that surrounded Yugito began to take shape like the wind did around Naruto. Her emerald eyes began to glow a vibrant red as her round pupil became slits. Her front teeth and nails began to sharpen as two tails of flames formed. Before anyone could blink, she was gone. Gaara's eyes wildly shifted from left to right looking for the kunoichi, he couldn't even sense her presence. It was almost as if she disappeared from existence, but she reappeared in front of him and landed a harsh left hook to his head, causing it to explode in flames at the same time. The impact from the attack sent the sand nin flying like a flaming missile through several stories.

Yugito landed on all four like a neko, the ground below her hands and feet was set on fire. It seemed that everything she touched would have the same effect as well, judging by the attack she landed on Gaara.

But the sand nin wasn't out yet, as he sent a wave of sand large enough to take out a tenth of Konoha towards her. At first, Sakura and the others were going to run, but what they saw next completely surprised them. Yugito leaped in front of the wave and increase the amount of blue flames that was raging around her body, turning the sand into molten lava that was completely under her control.

She pushed the wave of lava with her chakra tails back towards Gaara, melting everything in its wake. Gaara was forced to do something that he never had to do his in entire life, evade an attack. That was when the Shukaku within Gaara realized that he had greatly underestimated the Nibi's strength. He could only imagine how strong the Kyuubi would be if he pushed it to become serious.

The thoughts that were running through the combined mind of the Shukaku and Gaara were that of retreat, but before they could figure out a way to do this, Yugito was already within arm's length of them, landing another massive attack on their body, melting away the sand armor that covered him.

This time, Gaara let out a loud scream of agony as his body was sent crashing through more buildings. With the sand armor slowly melting away he was forced to endure every wall that he crashed through. This was also the first time that he was forced to experience physical pain as well. The real Gaara began to fear for his life as he forced his body to back up just in time to see a large ball of fire shoot at him. He summoned as much sand as he could act as a wall at the last minute. It managed to save him, but it still did a large amount of damage to his body from the shear heat of the attack alone.

Gaara was beginning to regain consciousness as the Shukaku slowly lost the grip over his mind. Relentlessly, Yugito sent a devastating side kick directly to Gaara's chest, cracking several of his ribs and burning his chest twice as worse than those that Hinata had received during her battle with the Nibi jinchuuriki.

Blood began to flow from the sand nin's mouth as the pain became more than unbearable for his now fragile body. For the first time ever, his absolute defense had been shattered like glass. Yugito slowly walked up to him and grabbed him by his collar as she lifted him up in the air. His entire shirt began to heat up as it suddenly caught on fire.

"**Had enough?"**

Gaara emotions at that moment were a mixture of things, there were the obvious ones like fear and disbelief. But there was also one that was very foreign to him as well, it was similar to the one he used to have towards his uncle, but on a different level. As he stared down at the kunoichi who was about to kill him, he never remembered anything more beautiful in his entire life. At that time he didn't care if she was going to be the one to kill him.

"That's enough, Yugito-chan!"

"**Naruto-kun?" **

'_Naruto…?' _Gaara managed to force his head to tilt as he watched the blonde kunoichi turn her head towards the newcomer. He instantly realized that it was the blonde shinobi who had fought the Uchiha before the attack, the jinchuuriki who contained the Kyuubi no Kitsune within him. The other person he and the Shukaku wanted to kill badly.

Yugito's eyes returned to their original form as the flames that were dancing around her dispersed, her natural human traits returning; she dropped Gaara as if he was dead weight and ran over to Naruto and embraced him in the tightest hug she could muster before giving in to her body lack of energy and slipped out of consciousness. Naruto grabbed her and lifted her up bridal style as he stared down at her.

'_What…what is this?'_

'**Isn't it obvious the woman that you just fell in love with has a man already. When will you understand that love is an emotion that is not meant for you?'**

'_I refuse to listen to you this time. I will no longer allow you to control my life.'_

'**You speak as if you have a choice in the matter.'**

'_Thanks to that kunoichi I was shown the way of controlling you from now on. And I will also prove to you that I will have love, and I will start by killing that Naruto…'_

Gaara forced up to his feet as the sand around him began to flow up his body reforming his first layer of defense.

"Uzumaki Naruto, eh?" Naruto glanced up at the sand nin and stared directly into his eyes. Before he knew it, Naruto was forced to evade a wave of sand that was sent towards him.

"What the hell? He should be out of chakra and clinging to life right about now!" Kushina was standing to the side as Kakashi and Jiraiya were standing on a building that was down the street. Shikamaru and the others were still taking in the monstrous fight they had just witnessed and yet they might see another one.

"N-Naruto-kun?!" Hinata was happy to see that the blonde enigma was ok, despite the fact that he openly loved another woman other than herself. She blamed the kunoichi for that and not Naruto. Temari, who witnessed the beating her younger brother had taken from the kunoichi couldn't believe that he still had the will to fight an opponent that could be stronger than the first one.

"I'm not in the mood to fight you right now, Gaara!"

"Then just die!"

"Why do you want to fight so much?!"

"Because you have something I want…!"

"Huh?"

"You have the heart of that kunoichi in your arms. And I will kill you so there will be no one else to stand in my way!" Naruto couldn't believe what he had just heard as he leaped up on the roof of a building trying his best to manoeuvre around Gaara's attacks without disturbing Yugito at all. He glanced over to the right and saw Sakura and the others standing there and quickly moved in on their position, dodging another wave of sand as he did so.

"Sakura-chan! Take care of Yugito-chan for me, ok?" Sakura nodded as Naruto landed in front of her and gently sat Yugito down on the ground and kissed her on the forehead before dashing towards the tormented sand nin. Sakura knelt down to examine the kunoichi and notice that she was alright just exhausted. She then realized that there was the possibility of Hinata attacking her in her weakened state and glanced over at Hinata.

"Don't worry, Sakura-san, I will beat her when she is at her strongest. That will be the only way I can get Naruto-kun to recognize me." During the whole time Hinata had refused to look over in that direction. She did not want to dishonor herself or worse, have Naruto hate her so she decided to not look at the kunoichi to help quell her hatred towards the woman.

Naruto walked up to the battered sand nin and glared at him.

"The only reason I am going to fight you is because you want to take Yugito-chan away from me. Even though there is one thing you should know, regardless of what happens in this fight, it is still up to her to decide who she wishes to be with." Kushina and Sakura were almost floored as they couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Naruto's mouth. Just how much had he matured without both of them knowing it?

Naruto's body was still exhausted from the toll it took from using those Jonin level jutsu plus the weight it took when he took on the two tail form of the Kyuubi, but he could tell that he was still in a way better position than Gaara was. The sand nin's second layer of armor was to weak to cover his entire body like before, so it only covered the most damaged areas.

Naruto began to go through a series of hand seals when he suddenly felt a set of arms wrap around his body. Naruto turned around to see Yugito hugging him behind with her eyes staring directly into he's. Sakura glanced down and notice that she indeed was gone.

"When did she move? I didn't even sense her…"

Both Naruto and Gaara didn't even sense her move either. Naruto started to turn around as the kunoichi embraced him in a tighter hug.

"Please… don't fight anymore, at least not anymore today. You have already been through a lot and I don't want you to have to shoulder anymore."

"Yugito-chan…" Naruto slowly wrapped his arms around her. Gaara was at first furious at what he was seeing, but despite how he felt, he turned his back and decided that he should heal before he fought with the blonde shinobi.

"Let's go home, Temari…" Gaara dragged out his words as he finally collapsed from all the internal and external wounds he had received during his first fight. Temari rushed over to him and lifted him up by placing his left arm around his shoulders. She turned around one last time to look at the two blonde jinchuuriki. On the outside, she was still in shock that her brother was defeated by the kunoichi, but on the inside she was happy that her brother wasn't the only one who was forced to bare the burden that he had for his entire life.

"Good to see you finally calmed down, Naru-chan." Kushina walked up to her _both _of her kids and hugged both of them firmly, Jiraiya leaped down and started to join them but the bone chilling glare Kushina gave him made him stop cold in his tracks.

"What did I do?"

Kakashi leaped over towards Sakura and the other genin as he searched around them.

"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura gave him a curious look.

"Where is Sasuke?"

"I dunno, why?"

"That teme killed Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled as the two kunoichi released their hug on him. Sakura stared at him for a second hoping that he would start smiling and say it was all a joke. She looked up at Kakashi for reassurance but saw that he too wished it weren't true.

"Why…? Why would he…?" Tears began to roll down her cheeks as the thought of Iruka being murdered by one of her best friends. It was almost too much to bare for her as she tried her hardest to fight back the other tears that wanted to escape as well.

"Ne… mom."

"Yeah, Naru-chan?"

"I've made my mind up. I no longer want to be a shinobi of Konoha anymore…"

--  
- **Neko**: Cat  
- **Katon: Kazangansen Genkotsu no Jutsu**: Fire Style: The Art of the Volcanic Fist(Direct Translation) User focuses a large amount of chakra fused with the element of fire into their hands added the burning effects of fire to each one of their hand attacks.  
- **Katon: Kazangansen Ashi no Jutsu**: Fire Style: The Art of Volcanic the Legs(Direct Translation) Like Kazangansen Genkotsu, the user legs begins to emit fire adding the extra effect to their leg attacks. But this jutsu also increases the amount of speed their user is capable of.  
- **Hebi**: Snake  
- **Kitsune**: Fox  
- **Tanuki**: Raccoon  
- **Katon: Kazangansen Shintai no Jutsu**: Fire Style: The Art of the Volcanic Body(Direct Translation) The user focuses all the fire fused chakra into their body causes it to emit a large amount of fire increasing the effects of all their attacks and increases upon the speeds that they could achieve while using the Kazangansen Ashi.  
- **Sabaku Kyuu**: Desert Coffin: This Jutsu uses sand to grab the opponent and cover their entire body. This skill is primarily for rendering an opponent immobile, but can kill the opponent by suffocation or by being followed with the Desert Funeral technique. (via NarutoChaos)


	19. Chapter 19: The Pains of Parting

**Authors Notes: I see a lot of people had mixed emotions about the whole Gaara falling in love with Yugito thing. Lol I was a little surprised by how you guys reacted, but one thing will say that I have already told a few of you. This fic will not be a harem, the main couple will remain Uzumaki Naruto and Nii Yugito, I just added potential rivals to keep things lively for me and hopefully you guys as well.**

**This chapter marks the final chapter of the first part of Immanence; thanks to the help of you guys earlier I have decided that I will keep everything under this title. I apologize for how short this chapter was but I hope I did well enough with it for you guys to still be able to enjoy it. I look forward to seeing your guys reviews and don't worry about there being a hiatus between this chapter and the beginning of part two. It will be posted next Wednesday (hopefully if I don't get to busy). Well thanks for reading and hope you enjoy.**

**4/3/08 Update: When I was finishing the story and proof reading it I was sort of falling asleep so I made a few errors using the wrongs words lol. Thanks to Life of Nemo for pointing it out. I made some quick edits and reposted it. Hopefully I got them all.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence  
**Chapter Nineteen: Pains of Parting

"I've made my mind up. I no longer want to be a shinobi of Konoha anymore…" Sakura's heart literally skipped a beat when Naruto said that. She looked in his direction to make sure she just wasn't hearing things. Her heart was already in pain due to finding out that her beloved had killed their sensei, becoming a traitor to the village. Now, the strongest person in her life had finally decided to leave the village. After his departure, she would have no one to count on anymore. Her strength was all thanks to her team-mates will to overcome all obstacles. Her passion to keep up with them inspired her to become stronger than she ever imagined possible for her at that age.

"Are you sure about this, Naru-chan?" Kushina asked managing to ask the question that Sakura also wanted to ask.

"I'm positive… After everything is settled from the attack, I'm sure Iruka-sensei's death will be placed on my head. Not to mention they would want to kill me anyways for displaying the Kyuubi's chakra and even… killing our… own shinobi…" to say Sakura and Shikamaru were shocked was a complete understatement, Shikamaru was shocked because this was the first time he had heard of Naruto being the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

"Th-that's impossible, Naruto… I know you couldn't have done such a thing… Plus, I don't think the village would blame you for Iruka-sensei's death." Sakura found the strength to speak up as her blonde teammate looked at her with a large amount of pain evident in his eyes. She almost felt like running to him and embracing him, telling him that everything was going to be ok, but for some reason her legs could not move.

"When I saw… when I saw Iruka-sensei die in front of me and knowing that Sasuke killed him... it pushed me over the edge and I allowed Kyuubi's chakra to consume me…" Naruto held his head down as he finished the last words. Suddenly he felt a hard slap on the back of his head.

"WHAT THE HELL…"

"Naru-chan…" Kushina gave him a dark glare that dared him to say anything to her for slapping him on his head. He quickly bowed down as he backed up a little, putting Yugito in between him and his mother.

"I do not want you to get all depressed over what happened or this decision. Being depressed does not suit you at all. Now I will ask you one more time, after that, there will be no turning back. Are you sure you want to leave Konoha?" All eyes were on Naruto now with three of those pairs holding their breath waiting for his _final_ answer for separate reasons.

"I already told you my answer, mom. I no longer wish to be here anymore. I think I have over-stayed my welcome; if I was ever welcomed here in the first place."

"I don't understand you right now, Naruto!" all eyes shifted to Sakura, whose eyes were now bloodshot as she tried her best to fight back the tears that were fighting strongly to be released. "I know your history with this village has not been the best, matter of fact, I know it has probably been like a living hell for you, but what about your goal? What about your promise? Your dream? Did you not always brag about becoming the Hokage one day? And even if the village rises up against you because of their own stupidity, I will stand behind you and fight. I am positive that _all_ of your friends would fight alongside you too!" Naruto was more than a little shocked to hear that the pink haired kunoichi was so heart-torn over the fact that he was leaving this village. In the past, before Yugito, he would have took it as a plead for him to be with her; but now that he had matured more, he knew the only reason she was in pain like this was because he knew she looked at him like a close brother. At least he though she did, anyway.

"I am not giving up my goal. Just changing it a little bit. Instead of becoming the Kage of this village, I'll just start my own and make it stronger than the five great shinobi villages and become a Kage that way." Despite his own agony deep inside him, he managed to flash his patent foxy smile at her. That was when Sakura could no longer contain her tears. She gave in to her emotions and ran to the blonde and hugged him tightly as tears began to pour out like a waterfall, drenching Naruto's shirt.

Naruto looked over at Yugito to gauge her reaction and saw that Yugito felt sorry for the girl and was not holding any resentment for what she had done. Seeing that Yugito wasn't upset he hugged his team-mate back and rubbed her back.

Shikamaru was more than speechless. Despite his highly intelligent mind, he had finally registered all the information that had been force-fed to him. He scratched the back of his head as he let out a loud sigh. He didn't want to see the blonde baka leave either, but he knew it wasn't up to him. For some reason he knew that this was not going to be the last he would get to see of the blonde shinobi. He glanced over at the Hyuuga and noticed that she was holding up a lot better than Sakura was doing, which was hard to believe judging from how obsessed the girl was with Naruto.

"Hinata… are you alright?" Shikamaru walked up to the girl and tried to place a hand on her shoulder for comfort, but she batted his hand away.

"Don't touch me!"

'_Fuck! She finally has lost it!' _Shikamaru leaped backwards, creating some distance between himself and the Hyuuga as he prepared to summon his family jutsu to keep her at bay if she was going to do anything rash.

"Naruto-kun… Someday I will make you see me as a better woman than _her_. I will always love you Naruto-kun… and I know someday you will return that love." The Hyuuga suddenly began to sob uncontrollably as she fell to his knees.

Naruto did not know what to do anymore. He never would have imagined that his decision would have this much of an effect on everyone else. He was sure that everybody would have been more than happy to see him leave the village. But despite all the emotions that was all around him, his decision had already been made. There was no way he could go back on it now or he would not only be disrespecting his mother, but himself as well.

"Gomenasai… But my mind has been made up. It's most likely the best for everyone if I leave this village, but don't look at this like this is the end. I'm am positive that we will meet again after this." Naruto glanced around to gauge his reaction to his tiny speech and saw several nods from his elders.

Suddenly Naruto, Jiraiya, and Kakashi felt something that literally felt like someone was ripping away at their hearts. All three shinobi glanced up at the same direction as if they all knew what happened even if they did not want to admit it…

"Sensei…" Jiraiya quickly dashed off in the direction they were looking and Kakashi quickly followed after him. Naruto started to move but Sakura gripped around him tighter, not wanting him to leave just yet.

Kushina could sense something was amiss but she just could not figure out exactly what it was. Yugito noticed the change in Naruto's demeanor and walked up to him.

"What's going on Naruto-kun?"

"I… don't want to say until I know for sure. Sakura-chan… I have to go…"

"No… not yet…" Sakura's hug on him got even tighter. Naruto glanced over at his mother for help as he too wanted to go with Jiraiya and Kakashi. Quickly understanding what he wanted, Kushina walked over to the two and applied a light amount of pressure to Sakura's neck, causing her to lose consciousness. Naruto gently laid her on the ground and glanced over at Shikamaru.

"Can you make sure she gets home safe?" Shikamaru nodded his head as he stared at Naruto's mother.

'_What a monstrous woman…'_

"Now what, Naruto-kun?"

"I have to go now. Follow if you want." With that said, Naruto leaped on top of the closest building in the same direction his two sensei had headed off to. Yugito and Kushina quickly followed after him, leaving the three genin by themselves.

Shikamaru walked over to the Haruno and lifted her up bridal style and began to shake his head as he looked back at the other heart-broken kunoichi.

"Thing are seriously starting to get out of hand…"

**II**

During all the fighting, the most important battle was being held in front of an audience of eight shinobi; four Konoha ANBU officers and the Otogakure no Shinobi Yonin Shū, who had created a barrier, preventing all from entering and also all that wish to leave. Inside said barrier were two of the three strongest shinobi currently in Konoha at the moment; the Hokage and Orochimaru. The battle had been one that people would have paid to see if it wasn't for the fact that a lot was on the line.

Despite all of Orochimaru's underhanded jutsu, the old man Sarubi had managed to match all of his attempts at killing him; but the one advantage the hebi sannin had over his sensei was age. The great _Professor_ was not what he once used to be and he was on his last leg as his chakra supply was dwindling while on the other hand Orochimaru still had enough to finish this fight.

The two giants in the shinobi world stood only a few feet apart from each other as they prepared to end everything in their next attack. Orochimaru held his Kusanagi in his hand as his breathing became heavy. He knew even if his sensei had grown weaker with age he still was someone that you could not take lightly. He had pulled out almost every one of his jutsu to kill him off and yet his old sensei still stood. Suddenly the Hokage began to go through a familiar set of hand seals that caused Orochimaru to panic.

"How… since when did you know that jutsu?!"

"I learned this jutsu from the Yondaime; it will be more than enough to end your cursed life and rid the world of my sins."

"Have you grown senile over the years, sensei?! That jutsu is a doubled-edged sword; it'll kill both of us!"

"I already know this and have no regrets. This will be the best way for me to atone for the sins that both you and I have committed."

"You think am I going to allow you to complete such a foolish jutsu?!" Orochimaru quickly closed the gap between him and the Sandaime and stabbed his Kusanagi directly through his chest. The Sandaime coughed up a large amount of blood as he released a loud groan of agony. But this was exactly what he wanted to happen. Now he had the hebi sannin stuck in range of the jutsu, giving him enough time to complete the complex set of hand seals.

Orochimaru at the last minute realized what exactly his sensei was planning and tried to fight his way free but the old man's grip on his arm was clamped on him. The Sandaime began to go through a different set of seals until a kage Bunshin appeared beside him who started to go through the original set of seals that the original had started before he was interrupted by Orochimaru.

"Shiki Fujin!" the kage Bunshin yelled as Orochimaru's eyes widen in fear as he watched the summoning of a shinigami that hovered behind the Sandaime. Suddenly the shinigami punched its ghostly hands through the Hokage and grabbed Orochimaru's arms.

Orochimaru let out an agonizing howl of pain as he felt his soul slowly be consumed by the shinigami as it started with both of his arms. He intensified his struggle to get free as he tried to shake off the old man's death-like grip.

The puncture wound caused by Kusanagi was gushing with blood as the Sandaime's eye slowly began to lose their glow of life.

'_Not yet… we are almost there, just a little longer.' _the Sandaime was struggling to fight back his own body's demands. He knew it was only a matter of time before he could no longer remain conscious, and was praying to Kami-sama that he would allow him to stay alive long enough to finish the jutsu.

Orochimaru was forced to watch the horrifying sight of the shinigami as its eyes stared into his own; the looked it gave him was one of hunger. As if it could not wait to devour his soul and he could literally see the flesh on his arms die as more of his soul was being pulled out of him.

As a last ditched effort, he shot his hebi like tongue out and gripped the handle of Kusanagi and ripped it out of the Sandaime's body and thrusted it through his throat, causing blood to gush in his face due to how close he was to him. The sword went all the way through the old man's neck killing him instantly, and ending the jutsu. Unfortunately for the hebi sannin, the damage had been done as the shinigami not only took his former sensei's soul but enough of his own soul that resided in his arms causing both of his limbs to die instantly. Even if he could proudly announce his victory over the Hokage of Konoha, he now was useless since both of his arms were dead, making it impossible for him to summon any seals.

He sensed the chakra of his former teammate and fellow sannin closing in on his location and ordered the Otogakure no Shinobi Yonin Shū that had created the barrier to dispel the jutsu. As they did so Kabuto leaped down beside him.

"Orochimaru-sama?"

"We have to escape for now, the old man got the last laugh in this fight and that baka of a former teammate of mines is on his way as speak. " Kabuto nodded as he placed one of Orochimaru's arms around his shoulder and shushin-ed off with the other sound nin.

**III**

Naruto already knew what had happened before he had even arrived but he still refused to acknowledge it until he saw it with his own eyes. There was no way that his ojii-san could have been defeated by that hebi. He was supposed to be the strongest shinobi in the village and the man who taught his perverted old sensei and the hebi sannin. There was no way his death could be true.

As he finally caught up with Kakashi, he saw what he truly did not want to see. Jiraiya was holding the Sandaime in his arms while four ANBU officers stood over them with their heads held low.

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. There was no way that could have been possible, he had to be dreaming. He looked up at Kakashi and saw that the infamous copy nin was shedding tears. A sight that he thought he would never witness in a thousand of years. He glanced back over at Jiraiya and saw that he too was crying. He felt water drip on his hands and looked up at the sky, it wasn't raining or anything, so where did the water come from? That was when he realized that the water had come from his own eyes. His emotions had gone into complete shock depriving him of any emotional feelings at the moment even though his body displayed it for him.

The two closest people in his twelve years of life had been murdered in the same day in two separate occasions, both by the same party in a sense. He wanted to scream in agony, he wanted kill everyone who had anything to do with Orochimaru, he wanted run and hide, he wanted this to all go away as if it was some bad dream, but the only thing he could do was shed tears as his body remained frozen in time.

Due to the numbness he felt, he didn't even realize that his eyes were the silver color they were when he had allowed the Kyuubi's chakra to consume him temporarily with the slits instead of pupils. His blood pressure was reaching levels that any normal human would have died from a heart attack if they were going through the same thing.

He also could not hear the Kyuubi's pleads for him regain control. The youkai chakra was once again craving the blood of those who killed two very important members of his _family_. But despite what was going on in the inside, the only way you could have a clue of what was going on was by his eyes. His tears had been replaced with blood as his body remained frozen.

"Naruto-kun!" finally someone had managed to break through Naruto's wall. Yugito embraced him, hoping she had reached him in time before he had completely lost it. "It's ok, Naruto-kun…" The protective walls that had Naruto numb from all his emotions came crashing down as he heard Yugito's voice and he began to wail in pain.

He collapsed to his knees as he began to pound the roof top with all his power until his hand became bloody due to the damage he was causing them, but the Kyuubi quickly healed them.

"Stop healing me Regina-san!! Let me bleed!" Naruto yelled out loud for everyone to hear as the Kyuubi had no other choice but to comply with the boy's request. His aching heart was also causing her a great deal of emotional pain as well. She knew how much he had looked up to those two and to see them forcefully taken away from him made her wish she could do more for him.

Despite the anger she held towards the village for betraying her husband and herself and torturing her son for his entire life, there was no way in a million years Kushina would wish for the death of the Sandaime. He was the only man she actually respected and trusted in the village and to see him go hurt her greatly. Another great person of Konoha whose life was taken in vain while protecting that village, the same village that truly did not give a damn about any of them. She was more than happy that her son had finally made the decision of leaving the village, she did not want to see Naruto give his life for the worthless village just like his father and the Sandaime did. Even though she did not agree with the _person _who ordered the attack on Konohagakure; she would not have shed a tear if the village had been destroyed just as long as Naruto had been protected, but now things were different. Seeing the pain he was going through caused even her eyes to weep.

**IV**

The next day the village of Konoha held a memorial for all those who wore lost in the attack. It was almost as if even Mother Nature was in pain, judging by how hard it was raining. All the remaining shinobi and civilians were dressed in black kimono and tears were evident in all eyes that were there. To not stir up any unwanted emotions from the village, a small group attended the memorial from a distance.

Yugito looked at her lover with mournful eyes as she wished she could take away his pain.

"Gomenasai, Naruto-kun…" Naruto looked at and shook his head as he smiled.

"It's not your fault, Yugito-chan… If I had been stronger… all this would not have happened."

"Don't say that. Don't you dare blame this on yourself, Naruto-kun! I would never forgive you if you did..."

"But…" he tried to say but Yugito jumped back in.

"There was nothing you or anyone could do. You are way too strong to allow this to eat away your heart, Naruto-kun. Even if you were the strongest shinobi there would be no way you could have protected _everyone_, it was just their time. Don't try to shoulder this all on your own, in the past you had no choice but now… now you have me." Yugito lowered her head as she tried to fight back her own tears. Naruto could not believe just how much she had changed since when he first met her. In the beginning, she was an emotionless shell, but now she was showing sides of her that he was sure she had never shown anyone before in her life. He couldn't help but to smile knowing that what she said was true.

"Arigatou, Yugito-chan." They suddenly felt a slap on both of their heads from behind. They looked back to see Kushina smiling at them.

"Don't you two baka forget that you also have me now as well." She said as she tried to contain her own tears. Jiraiya was leaning against the trunk of a tree that was close to the trio. Though he was still obviously in pain over the lost of his sensei at the hands of his former teammate, he knew that now he could only look towards the future that Naruto and Yugito were going to create. He knew that their legacy was going to be something greater than any other shinobi's, even greater than his own student the Yondaime and even that of the Shodaime.

"It looks like they are beginning to say their last respects. After everyone leaves, we will say ours as well, then head out." Jiraiya said as he pushed himself off the tree trunk.

Due to the amount of people who had attended the memorial, the last part seemed to have taken several hours before everyone had left for their homes and it was already dusk out. Naruto walked over to the memorial stone and glanced at the newly carved names of his sensei Iruka and the Sandaime. He bowed his head and knelt down as he said a prayer for them and rose up.

"I promise that I will become stronger and live my life the way you intended me to. Your wills will continue to live in my heart. I hope I can make you proud…" Jiraiya walked up to his blonde student and ruffled his hair in a playful manner trying to lighten the mood a little.

"Don't worry about that, I know for a fact that you have already done that, gaki."

"That's enough, ero-sennin." Naruto said in a joking manner.

"I swear I will drill some manners in that thick head of yours."

**V**

It did not take any time at all for Naruto to pack all the things he would need as he planned his final departure from the village. Despite all the hell he had went through there, he still was going to miss it. There were still very precious things that lived here that he would never forget.

As he stepped out of his apartment, he glanced up at the Hokage Monument. He couldn't help but to feel a pinch of guilt as if he was betraying the Sandaime for changing his goal of becoming the Godaime of Konoha. But he quickly forgot about that when Yugito placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. He smiled at her as he gently grabbed her hand and began to walk along side her towards the gates of Konoha where his mother and sensei were waiting for him.

It now was already dark and it had finally stopped raining, even though a lot of the buildings were destroyed in the attack, Konoha still held its beautiful elegant glow as the moon light reflected off the many buildings that were left.

To his surprise, he saw Sakura and Kakashi standing in front of the gate waiting for them as well.

"Yo." was all that Kakashi said as the two blondes approached them.

"You didn't think you were going to get away without saying goodbye, right?"

"Sakura-chan..."

"Don't worry about it, all is forgiven, baka." Sakura smiled as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away as he quickly embraced the blonde shinobi in a firm hug. "You should visit me sometime, ok? And you better not break Yugito's heart or I swear I will kill you with my bare fist."

"Hai!" Naruto said with a smile on his face as Sakura released her hug on him. Sakura walked up to Yugito and smiled at her. She suddenly hugged her as well which caught Yugito off-guard.

"Take care of that baka… I know he can be a hand-full at times, but he is also very dependable as well. Which I'm sure you know about that already." Yugito smiled and nodded her head. Sakura wiped away another tear and smiled as she walked back to the side of her sensei.

"Take care, Naruto… I look forward to seeing how strong you've gotten the next time we meet."

"Heh… Maybe next time I could possibly be able to beat you sensei…" the two shinobi chuckled to themselves as they shook each others hands.

Both Sakura and Kakashi waved good-bye to them as they finally made their departure, passing the Konoha wooden gate. Suddenly Naruto stopped and pulled off his forehead protector and ran towards Sakura.

"Think of this as a parting gift, ok?" Sakura at first did know what to say, she did not know if she should take it or, not but at the last second she decided to grab it. "Take good care of it, it holds a lot of precious memories to me."

"Then why are you giving it to me?"

"Because it's time for to make new memories. Plus, I can't think of anyone else better to hold on to it." She smiled as she nodded her head. He quickly turned around and caught up with the others.

This night marked the beginning of a new life for Uzumaki Naruto. It would be the starting point of a legend that would be greater than any other who had lived before him. From now on, he would tread his own path, instead of following the footsteps of others as he set out to establish himself as the Kage of a new village that would rise up to be the strongest of all the shinobi nations.

Translations:  
- **Otogakure no Shinobi Yonin Shū**: Sound Ninja Four/ the Sound Four  
- **Shiki Fujin**: The Dead Demon Consuming Seal: a seal created by the Yondaime that invokes the powers of the death god. Once called upon, the death god hovers behind the user and remains invisible to the opponent until it has grasped their soul. After the sealing is completed the death god consumes the user's soul soon afterwards, killing them. Once a soul has been eaten it resides within the death god's stomach, destined to do battle with its fellow souls for all eternity. (Wikipedia)


	20. 1st Shippuu: The Truth Revealed

**Author Notes:Wow! Didn't think I would actually reach the two-century mark before chapter twenty, and I actually reached it NINE chapters faster than I did when I reached one hundred reviews. Can't thank you guys enough for all your support!**

**As I have said before chapter twenty will mark the beginning of part two of my story Immanence. Everyone wanted me to keep it under one title so here we are. For now own I will be calling each chapter Shippuu since it would allow me to easily separate the first part from the second part and I think it sounds cooler than chapter lol. From now on the story will venture off from the cannon. I also decided to give this section the subtitle of **_**Resurrection of the Uzumaki no Kuni. **_**A cookie to the person who guesses correctly what it means :).**

**I will begin to edit all the chapters of part one and have them done before the 2nd Shippuu; I have a lot of down time of my hands now lol. Nothing major though; just grammar and etc...**

**I'm still undecided if I should change the summary of the story so I would love it if you guys could help me out with that issue. But thanks again guys for all your support and I hope that I will be able to continue to entertain each and every one of guys.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**

_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**1st Shippuu: The Truth Revealed

**Leaving Konohagakure during its time of need was a lot harder than I would have ever imagined it would have been. Then again, I never really played with the thought of leaving until I met my mom and Yugito-chan. Every now and then, I would wonder how things were back in that village after I had finally left. I'm pretty sure a lot of the villagers were overjoyed to here that the **_**akuma**_ **was finally gone, but I also knew that not **_**everyone**_ **felt that way as well. I am sure that there was a small few of them like Sakura-chan who would miss me. And I was sure that I haven't seen the last of Konohagakure no Sato, even though I at the time did not know if that was a good thing or a bad thing… **

Konohagakure had successfully fought back the surprise attack from their former ally Sunagakure and their new enemy Otogakure, but the damage that was done during the attack was devastating. The number of the deceased including the Sandaime Hokage was higher than the time when the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked the village over the twelve years ago. With the absence of a Hokage and over half of the village literally in ruins, the village was on the verge of chaos as the higher Jonin scrambled around, trying to maintain as much order as possible. Times were looking grim indeed for the once powerful and flourishing village. The village that was once said to be the greatest of the Five Great Villages.

A week had passed since Uzumaki Naruto and his _family_ had departed underneath the chaos of the attack. It wasn't until a few days ago that the village as a whole had discovered that the Uzumaki was no longer in the village. Some cheered and celebrated but the majority of them were either too busy grieving their own loses or working their hardest to restore their homes to even think twice about it, but none of them, except a small group, understood that they had just overlooked one of the future's greatest shinobi to ever live. That group mainly consisted of what remained of the _Rookie Nine_, their sensei, and Team Gai.

During the time of chaos, the village council had took over the governing duties of the Hokage while they searched for a proper candidate for the position of Godaime.

"Haruno Sakura, Nara Shikamaru; for your display of intelligence during the heat of battle which is dire for a true leader to have and also your capabilities of performing Chuunin level jutsu, you two are now officially promoted to the rank of Chuunin, congratulations, you two." One of the members of the council stated as he handed both Sakura and Shikamaru their official Chuunin vest. Both newly appointed Chuunin bowed after they received the vest.

Deep down inside, Sakura was filled with mixed emotions. She was more than proud of becoming a Chuunin before anyone else in the _Rookie Nine _besides Shikamaru, but at the same time she was torn over the fact Naruto was not alongside them, receiving this honor as well. He and Sasuke were the only ones of their group to actually use _Jonin_ level jutsu and have control over two elements! That was one of the main requirements to become a Jonin! Yet both of her teammates had departed from the village, leaving her behind.

Sakura rose up with tears crawling down the sides of her cheeks. The majority there thought they were tears of joy, who wouldn't blame her if they were? She had just achieved a rank that only a small number of first-year genin had accomplished, hell, she had only been a genin for almost half a year and already promoted to Chuunin. She was now in league with the likes of her sensei, the Fourth, and the so on. But only her sensei Kakashi knew the true meaning behind her tears.

"Now with that done, you two will be placed over your teams on select missions, with the village in the state that it is in, we need to continue accepting missions while we repair the damages. We must not show any weakness to anyone, including our remaining allies. I understand that the missions placed on you will be higher than any of you have every ventured on, but we believe you are capable of accomplishing them with success; otherwise, we would have not promoted you. You two have one day to celebrate then report to the Hokage office at six o'clock in the morning to receive your first mission and your assigned teams."

"Hai!" both Chuunin yelled as they bowed once again. As they began to turn around, one of the members decided that he would also add his comments as well. The majority of his face was covered in bandages as his right arm was wrapped up and hidden under his dark robe. It seemed that his influence over the council had increased with the death of the Sandaime.

"Haruno!" Sakura quickly swung around as she heard her surname called with such authority. "As for the status of your two former teammates, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, they both, starting today willl officially be labelled S-Class nuke-nin in the Bingo book."

"S-Class?! But that's…" Sakura tried to say but the glare she received from the man caused her to bow down quickly. This man's presence was enough to force someone to know their place.

"Haruno! I understand your concern, but you know as well as every member of this council the capability those two have is a serious danger to our village at its current condition, and both shinobi have already shed the blood of their fellow comrades. Not to mention the secrets that could be placed in the wrong hands if the Uchiha's Sharingan is duplicated and let's not forget what is inside the Uzumaki. There is no telling when the Kyuubi could finally take hold of the boy's mind and try to finish what it started twelve years ago." There was a chorus of gasp due to the man mentioning something that was said to be an offense met with death if caught, and he had done it in front of the council, of all people. "With Sarutobi's untimely demise, his law about the boy no longer stands." He defended himself as he glanced over the council members; he then returned his attention to Sakura. "In the future, you may come across one of those two during one of your missions. You may even be placed on a squad that their sole mission is to hunt those two down. If you are to hesitate in killing them, then you will be considered a traitor along with them. Do I make myself clear?"

Despite Sakura outer appearance, she was fuming from the inside. Sasuke was one thing in his current state, but Naruto? He had full control of the Kyuubi and she knew that he wouldn't attack the village or cause harm to it as long as there wasn't a good enough reason to do so. But she also knew that she would have no say in the final decision behind her former two team-mates and would have to deal with the outcome until she became strong enough to change things. Yes, she herself had made a goal to change Konoha so her blonde teammate would return to serve as its Hokage as it originally should have been in the beginning. An even better place for a rehabilitated Sasuke to live peacefully.

"Hai, Danzou-sama." She bowed before making her departure from the council chambers.

"Kakashi, as for the issue of finding replacement for those two, I have assigned one of my own to join your team to keep an eye on the Haruno and finish what I doubt she would be able to do. It is up to you to decide on who will be the third member of Team Kakashi." Kakashi nodded as he stood up.

"I think I already have someone perfect in mind." With that said, he shushined off in a whirlwind of leaves.

"With that settled, now shall we continue on to the discussion of a legitimate candidate to become the Godaime Hokage?"

**II**

**I never even heard of this **_**Danzou **_**person until my mother finally kept her end of the bargain and told me the truth. The real reason why she hated Konohagakure so much. Before her story one would say that I had plenty reasons already to hate this village for the way they had treated me. But after learning the **_**truth,**_** the chances of me ever changing my mind and returning to that village became zero percent if not lower, if that was even possible…**

Twelve years ago, Konohagakure no Sato was a very peaceful village that had finally established itself as the most powerful of the Five Great Villages with the end of the Third Secret World War. Thanks to the amazing capabilities of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, Konoha had came out on top in most of the cases during the war even though there was no _true _victor, as with most wars.

In a beautiful garden in the back of the Hokage Manor laid two shinobi doing something that was literally unheard of in the shinobi world, relaxing.

"Shouldn't you be crammed up in the Hokage office with a mountain of paperwork on both sides of your desk?" A red head kunoichi said with a smirk on her face as she turned towards the man of her dreams, the love of her life and father of her child whose birth was coming up soon. He chuckled at her comment and glanced over at her.

"And shouldn't you be taking it easy? All this moving around could send you into early labor." the blonde replied as he closed his eyes when a relaxing breeze blew past them. He always loved the wind and never felt more comfortable when there was a gentle breeze.

"It seems you are forgetting how tough I am, baka… I _am_ the only person who can still beat you in a fight if you haven't forgotten."

"Hey… that was only once and we were kids then." A blush spread across the blonde's face causing the red head to giggle.

"How many times did we fight? Huh?" the blonde sighs out loud at the red head's question.

"Once…"

"And who won that fight?"

"You…"

"Exactly! I am still the only person who has and ever will beat you!" The red head laughed out loud as she pointed at him in a teasing manner. Soon the blonde began to laugh along with her. Deep down, he knew if she wasn't pregnant right now she probably could still beat him. A sweat drop appeared on his forehead at the thought of her beating him again as he quickly shook the memory out of his head. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and laid back on the grass. During Kushina's pregnancy, he placed his role as Hokage second as he tried to be by her side as much as possible, even through the times where he was sure she was going to kill him. But he never enjoyed anything else more than spending time with her and their soon to be newborn baby boy.

"Yondaime-sama, sorry to disturb you during your time off." An ANBU officer appeared on top of the Manor. Kushina sent him such a glare that sent a chill up and down his spine causing him to doubt the reason he was the one sent to retrieve the Hokage.

"Don't worry about it, how can I help you?" Even though it was his scheduled time off, Minato knew the job of being a Hokage never really guaranteed you any vacation until you're retired.

"Something urgent has come up, there are signs that the Kyuubi no Kitsune has been spotted near the border of the country and is making its way towards here." Minato's relaxed expression quickly shifted to one of seriousness. He glanced back at Kushina who nodded her head. He nodded back and shushined off in flash of light. Kushina, despite the seriousness of the situation chuckled as she laid back down on the grass.

"That _Yellow Flash_… such a show off." She suddenly felt a tiny kick from her stomach as she chuckled again. "I see you think so too, huh, Naru-chan?" she suddenly felt sudden chill in the air that wasn't the effects of the fall weather.

"How long is it now, Kushina-hime? Last time I heard it was any day now." Kushina glanced up to see Danzou staring at her with a forced smile on his face.

"If you're looking for Minato, old man, then you just missed him. Now leave, you're ruining my good mood. And of course you know it's not good to upset a woman when she is in the last stages of her pregnancy." The old bandaged man just chucked as he closed his only visible eye.

"That's a shame, Kushina-hime but I'm actually here to discuss something with you actually." Kushina gave him a confused look until she saw several _Root _ANBU offers appeared behind him on top of the manor. Her expression shifted to a frown.

"What is the meaning of this, old man?!"

"Now, now, Kushina-hime. Didn't you say that it's not good for a pregnant woman to become upset this late in their pregnancy? Beside this will only be a simple talk."

"Then what the hell are they doing here, then?!"

"Just a simple precaution. You are the Hokage's wife and the guard is usually heavy around you in your weakened state. They just made our talk a _little _easier to obtain. Now if you could come with us we will begin our little _chat _as soon as we arrive."

"Arrive? Arrive where?!"

"You will find out soon, Kushina-hime."

**III**

The Yondaime Hokage was inside of his personal library inside the Hokage Tower, trying to look up as much information about the bijuu as possible. But the more he read, the more he became frustrated in his fruitless search. The only thing he found was the rumor that it was impossible to actually kill a bijuu, and he was unfortunately up against the strongest of the nine, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The one thing he did not understand was the reason why it was heading this way and all of a sudden. The bijuu were known to stay within their domains and only attack those who had wronged them. As far as he knew, Konoha hadn't done anything that warranted the wraith of the Kyuubi. But that was a question that he couldn't just ask the Kyuubi itself since it was known that all who has came face to face with the bijuu, never lived after the meeting. It was a risk he was not willing to take until he felt it was the last choice.

He had been locked up in the Hokage Tower for several days now, trying to figure out an answer to this dilemma that only seemed to get worse. Suddenly he heard a knock at his door, he shut the book he was reading as he glanced over the door and yelled for them to come in.

"Sensei! Kushina-sama has been reported missing and the ANBU who were placed in charge of her were killed."

"NANI?! SINCE WHEN?" Kakashi lowered his head since he could not look him in the eye as he told him. He had been searching for her without rest during the entire time, but the only thing he came up with, was the fact that it was an inside job. Especially since the way the council was covering up the mess from Minato. It was by pure luck that Kakashi got mere wind of it.

"Several days now sensei…"

"AND WHY THE HELL WAS I NOT INFORMED OF THIS?"

"The council refused anyone who knew about it to tell you of the matter. I found out about it when I was stopping by the manor to check on Kushina-sama but I noticed that she was gone and the ANBU who were assigned to guard her were missing as well. I later discovered they were killed and she was kidnapped. I began to search for her as soon as I found out, but the only thing I found out was that someone in the council is a part of this."

"Notify the council that I am calling an emergency meeting right now!" Minato stormed out of the officer in the direction towards the council chambers as Kakashi shushined off to inform the council.

It only took several minutes for the council to assemble in the council chambers with the Yondaime standing in the center. He waited for everyone to settle before he started. Keeping a calm composure he began to stare at each and everyone of the council members.

"What is the current status of Namikaze Kushina?" He asked as he tried his hardest not to go off on the deep in. He noticed that several of the council members wore a Gailty expression despite how much they tried to hide it. He looked over at the former Hokage Sarutobi giving him a shocked expression as if he didn't know of this. This made him feel a _little _bit better knowing that one of the men that his sensei looked up to didn't have anything to do with this injustice.

"She is more than ok, Yondaime." Danzou stated as he finally made his arrival to the meeting.

"Does that mean that you are the one behind all of this, Danzou?"

"Yes, but I am not the only one who agreed upon this decision, as you have already noticed, the majority of the council has agreed upon this too."

"Why was I not brought into this vote?!" Sarutobi yelled as he rose up.

"Because we knew you would inform the Yondaime before everything was set in place Sarutobi."

"What do you mean by that, Danzou?!" Minato was ready to kill the man despite his position of being the Hokage.

"How long have you been studying the history of the bijuu in your office Yondaime? You know as well as everyone in this room that the Kyuubi cannot be killed. But there is a way we can defeat it."

"If you had an answer before, why didn't you consult me about it first, instead of taking such underhanded methods?"

"The way to defeat the Kyuubi would be to seal it in another living vessel by using the Shiki Fujin, but for the jutsu to work it would require three sacrifices. The first being yours and second being your son, since he has yet to be born it would require the jutsu to be done while he is still inside the womb, making Kushina the third. The reason why we didn't consult you first was because we knew you would turn it down, trying to think of another way to solve this issue. So, as the council of Konohagakure, we decided to take matters in our own hands and over-step the power of the Hokage just this once to reassure that the village would be safe." Minato began to grind his teeth secretly as he glared at the wrapped up man.

"And if I refuse to use this jutsu?"

"We will be forced to do it anyway, killing both your wife and son in the process and stripping you of your title of Hokage."

"That is absurd!" Sarutobi yelled.

"It has already been voted on, Sarutobi and even if you were here to vote on the matter, the outcome of the vote was an outstanding ten to one. At the most you could have shifted those votes to seven to three. We all felt that if the Yondaime refused this offer, then he had no right to be our Hokage, whose primary role is to protect the village with his life. Besides, this way at least his son would survive if he decided to go with our proposal."

"Nani? I thought you said that there would be _three _sacrifices needed to complete this?"

"Yes, there still will be three. It's just your son will bare the burden of being the container the bijuu and still could die from the strain that will be placed on him at such an early age. If you were to agree with this, then you would go down a hero along with your wife and your son would survive."

Minato lowered his head and he began to go over the decision that he would have to make, regarding the very village that had just turned their back on him during their darkest time, just because the foe was one that was said to be unbeatable. It was shameful what men would do to survive at times. Minato had finally strengthened his resolve as he glared up at Danzou with fire literally burning in his eyes. He then glared at every member seating in the council chamber.

"I will do this, but not for you or this village. I will do this only for my son… I will have only one simply request for you all, and that is my son, Naruto, will be looked at as a hero to Konoha and not the akuma that is sealed within him." With that said, Minato stormed out of the chamber to prepare for his part in the jutsu.

**IV**

**What he didn't know at the time but later discovered, were the true intentions of the powers of the council. The heads of the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans always feared the birth of the Namikaze clan and with my birth coming soon, that was about to become a fact. My father was already regarded as one the greatest shinobi in history plus everyone and their grandmother at that time knew of my mother's capabilities as well, which easily made her among the top shinobi in Konoha. She was the sole survivor of the former Land of Whirlpool and she just happened to be the princess of that land, so her family harnessed the strongest jutsu in that area. If those two were to teach me all of their jutsu, then I married and taught my children those same jutsu, it would more than surpass the jutsu and abilities of the Hyuuga and Uchiha, which was a fact that both clans could not live with. So despite their difference in opinion, and not to mention their hatred for each other, they joined forces. Danzou was a completely different catalyst in this hold thing. His intentions were to raise me as a tool of pure destruction that he would use to gain the title of Kage through force. Many of the other members had their own reasons but these were among the largest.**

Finally the night had arrived, the night that no one in Konoha was looking forward to. The night of the Kyuubi's arrival would mark one of the bloodiest nights in shinobi history. Minato was the one who was regretting this night the most, he had only been allowed to see Kushina once. That was when he had explained to her everything that he had discovered about this village and despite her anger, she agreed with his decision to proceed with the plan. As long as their Naruto could live his life, then everything in the long run would be ok.

As the shinobi were trying their best to hold off the akuma while waiting for him, Minato was making one last visit with his beloved.

"Gomenasai Kushina…" Minato glanced down at Kushina with pain evident in his eyes. This was not what he pictured his family would be doing on the birth of his only son.

"Baka… what are you apologizing for?" Kushina reached her arm up and gently rubbed his face with her hand.

"If I had been stronger, I could have prevented all of this from happening to us. I would have caught on to the corruption that had infiltrated Konoha and wiped it out before everything had gotten out of hand, I would…" before he could finish she pulled him down and kissed him.

"That's enough of excuses… What is done is done. I don't want you to die with vengeance in your heart." With what little strength she had, she punched his shoulder softly. "It's not healthy for you at all." Minato smiled at her joke as tears began to roll down his cheeks. "Hey… shinobi are not supposed to cry, you know?"

"Can't help it… You know you always have been the one who was stronger emotionally." He lowered his head and kissed her again.

"That's not true… ever since the day I came to this village, I have been an emotional wreck. I gained all my strength from you." Minato embraced Kushina in a tight hug as more tears escaped his eyes as he knew this would be the last hug they would share.

"It's time to go, Yondaime-sama" an ANBU said as he walked in. Minato rose up and wiped several tears out of his eyes as he nodded. He kissed her one last time before running off to meet his greatest challenge he ever would face in his life.

Several minutes later, Kushina heard several growls in the distance, followed quickly by an explosion. She was startled for a moment before she saw who it was as he entered his room.

"Jiraiya?"

"Just hold on a sec, Kushina we are going to use a jutsu that will send you directly into labor."

"Why… and we?"

"This was Minato's last dying wish, he wanted to make sure _you_ and Naruto survive this situation. Sorry I couldn't make it here sooner. It took him awhile to get in contact with me, and I had to find Tsunade." Suddenly Tsunade walked into the room as her name was mentioned.

"How come he didn't mention this to me earlier then?"

"He didn't know if I would be able to make in time since at the time I was in the Land of Rain. He did not want to give you any false hopes. Now bare with the pain Kushin, as soon as we have this baby, I will make sure Minato is safe and then we leave this place."

"But…" Kushina tried to talk but Tsunade hushed her.

"Just focus on having that beautiful boy of yours, ok? Minato is trying other things first before he has to resort to using the council's plan." Tsunade went through several hand seals before her hands began to glow; she place her hand over Kushina's stomach, who then began to groan in pain.

"Jiraiya, make sure no one gets in here. Shizune, I need you now!"

On the battlefield, things were looking more than grim for Minato and the Konoha army as everything they threw at the Kyuubi was literally batted back at them. And it was apparent to Minato that the Kyuubi wasn't using its full power by the way it was acting. It was as if something was wrong with it.

Several shinobi began to use fire jutsu on the akuma, which only fed its anger as one of its tails swung around and literally cleaved the squad in half. Minato had never seen anything in his life that could do that type of damage to that many Jonin shinobi in one swing. Things were becoming more and more desperate and Jiraiya had yet to give him the signal that he and Tsunade had rescued Kushina and Naruto yet.

The Kyuubi began to point its attacks towards Minato as it figured that he was the head of the assault. All nine of its tails began to strike at him forcing him to dodge each attack, but as he did so, it seemed that each tail was getting closer and closer to killing him. The Kyuubi was slowly gaining strength, which just continued to confuse him even more. Why would the Kyuubi not be at full strength in the first place?

As he turned around, he noticed that almost ninety percent of his army had been killed or greatly injured. He had already exhausted all of jutsu and only had that jutsu left. It was as the council said, there was only one way to defeat the Kyuubi and he would have to do it before it returned to its full strength. He began to go through the proper seals that he and Sarutobi had worked on together just in case Sarutobi would have to replace him, Sarutobi offered to do it plenty of times but Minato refused him every time.

Sounds of Naruto's voice could be heard as Tsunade placed the newborn baby in Kushina's arms with a smile on her face. Part one of the plan had been completed, now there was only the matter of getting the signal to Minato in time. But as Tsunade started to call for Jiraiya, she felt the presence of a powerful youkai entering the room. She glanced up at the ceiling and noticed the ominous amount of red chakra floating around. Before she could move or say something, it quickly began to enter the baby Naruto's body. Jiraiya, sensing the dark youkai, rushed into the room just as it was happening. He knew that could only mean one thing; Minato could no longer hold the Kyuubi at bay and was forced to perform the jutsu.

"I'm sorry, Jiraiya…"

"Move out of the way. I have to finish the seal on the boy before he is consumed by the demonic youkai." He literally had to snatch Naruto from the arms of Kushina as she cried out for her son. Shizune had to hold her down so that she wouldn't further injure herself.

Jiraiya began to draw the seal of Naruto stomach that was drawn on Kushina's stomach. As soon as he completed it and activated it, he felt the youkai settle down a little. He knew how to create the seal since Minato had told him how to, just in case part two of their plan had failed, which unfortunately did.

Several explosions were heard outside of the room. Within the matter of seconds the room was filled with _Root_ ANBU members. Before Tsunade and Jiraiya could make their move, a flash bomb was thrown against the ground, blinding almost everyone in the room. When the room had cleared out the ANBU was gone along with Naruto.

"Where's my Naru-chan?"

"Leave that to me, Kushina. Tsunade take care of her for the time being until she is healthy enough to move around again."

"Jiraiya! I'm not leaving without Naruto!"

"Gomen, Kushina" Jiraiya placed a jutsu on her that placed her in a deep sleep. Normally she would have been able to fight off such a jutsu, but in her weakened state, she fell helpless to it.

"And what do you plan on doing, Jiraiya?" Tsunade said as she glared over at her former teammate.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to get Naruto back. Don't worry about taking care Kushina for a long time, I'll take over of her care as soon as I catch up with you guys."

"You think I'm going to leave a _woman _in your care or all people?"

"Ouch…. I may be a pervert at times, but even I have morals, you know?"

"She will be under my care until she is able to move on her own, got it?" Not wanting to meet the wraith of a pissed off Tsunade plus the _Root _ANBU were getting further away, he gave in to her demands as he nodded with a smile on his face and dashed out. At the same time, he was fighting back his own tears at the loss of his best student.

Jiraiya knew exactly where the shinobi were heading and with the help of his summoned gama, which stood over several stories high, he beat them there, which was the base of operation for _Root_.

"'Bout time you guys showed up. I was thinking you guys were lost." Jiraiya began to go through several hand seals and slammed his hands against the ground.

"Doton: Yumi Numa!" Jiraiya yelled as the ground that was surrounding the shinobi transformed into a swamp, capturing them. He snatched a crying Naruto from one of the shinobi's arms as he tried to make his escape, but he only ran into more as he turned the corner… He sighed out loud as he knew this was going be a long night for him since not only did he have to fight off _Root_ ANBU members, which were on par with elite Chuunin and Jonin shinobi, but he would have to do so while keeping Naruto safe.

After a couple of hours Jiraiya had managed to escape from the _Root _grounds; due to the exhaustion from fighting so many shinobi he was forced to give Naruto to the only man he could trust in the village, his sensei Sarutobi. After learning of the plan the former Hokage quickly complied with Jiraiya's request as the gama hermit made his departure before he was spotted. Sarutobi sighed as he stared down at the sleeping Naruto and wondered how anyone could sleep so peaceful with all he had been through.

A week passed and Sarutobi was reinstated as the Hokage due to the Yondaime's sacrifice. Due to the influence and respect he held over the council already, he easily regained control over it from Danzou. Without the threat of a potential birth of a Namikaze clan surpassing them, the Uchiha and Hyuuga also joined the Sandaime's side as well, leaving Danzou only a fraction of the council to vote for him. The Sandaime had more pull than the Yondaime did, so the thoughts of an act like before happening again were quickly hushed if even thought about. Even Danzou decided that he would have to wait for another opportunity to take over the village.

**V**

**And that time had finally arrived for him with the passing of the Sandaime. His influence over the council grew even larger than it was before, because to them he was the strength they needed in their darkest time. His sweet words serenaded the council members into believing that he was the only person who was capable of doing so. **

"So I guess that no one has any objections here?" Danzou paused waiting for someone to speak up but the silence only remained. "Well then, I guess that settles things. I will happily take on the role of the Godaime Hokage and promise to protect this village with my life." All the council members began to stand up and clap as Danzou bowed to show his respect. But his true purpose was to hide his dark maleficent grin that had been plastered on his face.

**One of the saddest things about that situation was the fact that the original plan my father had, talking to Regina-san before she reached Konohagakure, would have actually worked. During the time I spent with Regina-san I learned many things, some helpful while other far from helpful and down right annoying. But the main thing I learned was the real reason why she attacked Konohagakure which gave me another goal to achieve. **

**Translation:**

**Uzumaki no Kuni: **For you guys to find out lol

**Shippuu: **Hurricane

**Akuma:** Demon

**Gama:**Toad

**Doton: Yomi Numa: **Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld. This technique turns a large area of land into a sinking swampland, making it impossible for anyone or anything in that area to move around or escape. (via NarutoChaos)


	21. 2nd Shippuu: Contract of the Kitsune

**Author's Notes: I'm back! Sorry for the very very late update. Been busy with a couple of things like working on my book, school, Grand Turismo Prologue, Metal Gear: Online and etc ;. Will continue to strive to keep this a weekly update thing so sorry agai****n for late this is.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**2nd Shippuu: Contract of the Kitsune

_**Time... the word meant so much to me back then after I left the village. For the first time I felt free from the village's leering eyes. I now could spend as much time with the closest of my precious people as I wanted, even if we annoyed each other in the process. I also extended my time with the one being in the beginning I hated with a passion willingly. After getting to know her, my image of her changed for the better.**_

Two weeks had passed since we made our departure from Konohagakure no Sato. I finally told Yugito-chan, my mom and Ero-sennin about Regina-san. What would happen to us if the process wasn't stopped. I also explained to them the plan Regina-san had came up with to help us rid ourselves of this problem. Jiraiya was for some reason reluctant to agree with it and wanted to think it over first. And even though both me and Regina-san felt we didn't have the necessary time needed to wait for him to make his mind up, we knew that we had no other choice but to wait for him.

Over the two weeks we had slowly made it to the border of the land of fire and we were about to enter the land of rain. Throughout the time, me and Yugito-chan spent much of it training in the fundamentals of taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu since Ero-sennin felt that we need to firm a solid base with the basic before we got to serious training. I of course was against this idea, since I had spent almost seven years learning the basics. But after my mom persuaded me by leaving a couple of knots up and down my head I easily agreed to his demands.

Both my mom and ero-sennin had picked up the fact that I wasn't taught properly in the fundamentals of fighting and using jutsu since I wasn't one of the most popular students in the academy. Which made sense since Mizuki was one of the sensei that trained me the most. I learned that the style I was taught left me with far too many openings and made me an easy target to get killed if it wasn't for my stubbornness and dumb luck at times.

Me and Yugito-chan also spent those two weeks trying to get to know each other better. Even though we had finally became an official couple, we still didn't know much about each other and I was going to make it my goal to close that gap between us as long as she was willing to do so too.

I suddenly sensed that someone was following us but I didn't know who it was or why and it seemed that both my mom and ero-sennin weren't too worried about it since they weren't up in arms about it.

"Yu-chan... it seems that someone wants to talk to you." my mom said breaking the comfortable silence.

"Huh?" Yugito-chan replied with a confused look on her face. She turned around saw someone leaped down from a tree in front of her.

"As expected of you, Kushina-san. You are a strong kunoichi indeed." Aoi-san said as she smiled at her former student, Yugito-chan, who wore a surprised look on her face. "It's nice seeing some emotion on that pretty face of yours, Yugito." she continued.

"Aoi-san, why are you..." Yugito-chan tried to talk but Aoi-san rose her hand and waved her off.

"Don't worry, Yugito, I'm not here to steal you away from your cute little boyfriend here. I'm actually here to ask Kushina-san something very important." she said causing both me and Yugito-chan to blush.

"And what is it you need? If you had waited a day longer, I would have ended up killing you."

"So you knew I was following you the whole time, huh? Well, I have a simple request for you, Kushina-san. Like Yugito here, I as well do not have a village to return to and I wish to continue helping Yugito in her training. If you would..."

"What is your real motive here?" My mom interrupted.

"Huh? There is no real motive here, just want to have a place to belong to as well."

"Then why follow us for so long? You could have approached me with this offer before we left Konoha."

"Well, I knew you were leaving but I just didn't know when that day was and I needed to make sure Yugito was in good hands before I made my decision of asking you if I could join."

"I say let her join. The more the merrier!" Ero-sennin said but he received a fist to his face from my mom which caused me to chuckle.

"Only reason why you want her to join is because of your lecherous mind, you pervert!"

"You don't have to be so mean, Kushina... you're beginning to remind me of Tsunade."

"Well I was with her for over a decade before I came back to get Naru-chan, so of course some of her traits would rub off on me!"

It seemed that they both had temporally forgot all about Aoi-san, who was staring at them with a confused look on her face.

"You know Tsunade?" she asked my mom.

"Yeah, I know the hag... she was the one who trained me to become as strong as I am now..."

"Now you definitely have to let me join your group!"

"Huh?" we all said with confused looks on our faces.

"Tsunade-sama has always been my idol ever since I was an up and coming kunoichi of Kumo. Even if she was supposed to be an enemy I loved to read the stories."

"See... the girl has a good heart. I don't think she will cause us as much trouble as that gaki over there will." Ero-sennin said as he pointed at me.

"Oi!! What's that supposed to me?!" I yelled as I stormed up to him. A frown grew on his face as he kneelt down to my height and put his face in mines as if he was daring me to try something.

"Cut it out, you two... I swear Yu-chan is the only mature one of the group besides me. I'll give you a shot but if you try something, then not only will I expel you from the group, but I will personally kill you myself." Aoi-san nodded her compliance with the terms and smiled.

_**I swear my mother could be scary at times. Hell, she even threatened my life several times. Even though I knew she wasn't serious about it, I still didn't test that theory. My mom wasn't a person you would want to cross, no matter who you were. The incident of my birth had left her a very bitter woman that only allowed a few people in her heart. I don't think I ever remembered her accepting Aoi-san as a friend. Only as an ally and nothing more. It was subtle but she kept an eye on her for the entire day all the way until it was dusk, little did I know that the night would also mark a new chapter in my life.**_

"Alright, I think we should stop and set camp for the night. We're going to hit it early since we are now only a day's walk away from the next town." Ero-sennin said as he took a sip from his water container. I let out a loud sigh as I plopped down on the ground.

"What do you think you're doing, Naru-chan? Just because we're setting up camp here doesn't mean you get a chance to take a break. You and Yu-chan got work to do." my mom sais as she flashed a dark grin at us. Sweat began to form on my face as I could only imagine what tight of torture she had plan for us that night.

We followed her for several miles until it felt like we stopped in front of a large tree, the largest one in this area.

"Ok, you two we are going to start off with some basic tree climbing training but with a twist. I want you two to walk all the way to that large limb that is almost at the top of it and stand on the bottom of up-side-down until I come back to get you two."

"Nani!" I yelled. She frowned at me, which caused me to pipe down quickly.

"I'm not done, Naru-chan. Since your stamina is insanely above normal I want you to create fifty clones and have them do this as well. I know both of you can already walk on water let alone stand on trees and solid surfaces using your chakra, but that is not the point of this training. When both of you reach the end of your chakra supply you get really sloppy when it comes to your chakra control, thus making your jutsu sloppy as well. Even if you two are very strong for your age, you still are far too unskilled to be any good in a real battle where experienced Chuunin and Jonin are involved. I will come back and check up on you after two hours. If you fall once that adds thirty minutes to your training. Fall again and that's another thirty minutes. And I will know if you fell or not so you better not slack off on this. This will become a regular thing for you guys until I see you are ready to move on to the next step. The secret is to release just enough chakra to keep you on the tree, but not too much so that you don't cause your supply to run out too fast."

"Are you trying to kill us?!" I yelled but Yugito-chan grabbed my hand gently and shook her.

"Well, the first night is always the roughest night, but if you don't fall, it will all go by quickly. See you in two hours." With that said, my mom shushined off in a splash of water. I did as she instructed and created several kage Bunshin and they began to do the same thing I was doing.

"Guess mom has never heard of chakra exhaustion."

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, what's up, Yugito-chan?"

"Nothing really, just glad we finally get to have some alone time." My cheeks began to heat as I could feel a blush fight its way in.

"Why is that, Yugito-chan?" I said trying to calm my emotions.

"Naruto-kun has done so much for me yet we still don't know much about each other at all besides that we share he same burden, and somehow you are able to communicate properly with the Kyuubi, when the only thing I can get from the Nibi is a growl from time to time. There is a lot of things I want to learn about you, and I'm finally ready to come to terms with my past and tell you everything about my past." Yugito-chan said with a strong amount of determination in her eyes. I sighed when I heard a couple of my clones begin to argue with one another and decided to tune them out as I focused all my attention on her.

"I'm pretty much an open book to you, Yugito-chan. What is it you wish to know and I'll be able to tell you."

"What was Sakura-san's and that Hyuuga girl's relationship with you?" And she went there right off the bat… I wondered if that had been bothering her for a while now.

"Well… I used to have a huge crush on Sakura-chan, which was completely one-sided, heh. The only person she wanted was that Sasuke-teme which that was completely one-sided too." The thought of the Uchiha started my blood to boil but I forced myself to remain calm so she wouldn't get the wrong idea. "As for Hinata, I never knew she had feelings for me until the day of the attack."

"Do you still have feelings for Sakura-san?"

"No, no… She is more like a sister to me, now. I realized that my crush was more of a childish infatuation. Why did you want to know those answers first?"

"I just wanted to know more about the women of your past to see if I had any competition." She flashed a grin that only meant death to those who would try to compete, which made me sweat-drop. Suddenly the arguing clones got louder which was starting to wear on my nerves, but I continued to let it go.

"Is there anything else?"

"Why did you strive so hard to become the Hokage of Konoha despite how that village treated you?"

"At first, it started as a childish goal set by me, not realizing the hardships it would take to accomplish it. I only wanted everyone in the village to recognize me for who I was and not what was inside of me, but it later grew into a need to protect all those who were dear to me when I started to learn what the true responsibility the Kage held. I still plan on becoming a Kage someday, just not of Konoha."

"Your emotional strength is one of the things I admire the most about you, Naruto-kun. Even though I was a dedicated tool to Kumo, everyday I wanted to escape from that hell-hole. My parents were killed due to an order from the Raikage so he could utilize me since I was the only child whose birth coincided with the capture of the Nibi no Neko. My parents refused his request so he had them murdered and I placed in heavy training from day one to make sure I would not have a will of my own. They almost succeeded in creating the perfect tool if it wasn't for Aoi-sensei." That was the first time she mentioned towards Aoi-san as her sensei. "Even though she was very hard on me, she still treated me like another shinobi of Kumogakure, despite the constant taunts she and I received. The only reason why she remained my jounin sensei wa7s because my mission results had risen over thirty percent since she took me in. But even if the Raikage died today and the elders of Kumo begged me to become the next, I would refuse because of my hatred to that village. Yet from the stories I heard about you from others where you were beaten on almost all your birthdays until you could defend yourself and even isolated like a disease, to still fight to protect the village on your own accord... The strength of your heart is far greater than anything I have ever known." That last sentence caused me to blush furiously. I wasn't used to such deep compliments that I just did not know how to react. I was still kind of getting used to have my feelings returned to me instead of being one-sided like before. Which was a feeling that I never wanted to lose, no matter what happened to us in the future.

"Arigatou…" I said as I glanced towards the ground, trying my hardest to hide my blush.

"There is no reason for you to thank me, Naruto-kun. I am the one who should be thanking you. Even though Aoi-sensei was the one who stopped me from becoming a complete weapon, you were the person who made me into a human. I owe the world to you." Now I was really placed in an uncomfortable position. I didn't know whether to continue to thank her, say I know, or just to remain quiet. I started to say something but I stopped in my tracks when her lips managed to attach themselves to mines as her arms slowly wrapped around shoulders. At first I was caught off-guard by her aggressiveness but soon allowed myself to give in and just go with the flow until my clones began to go at it again. This time twice as loud as before which even caused Yugito-chan to jump. I glared over at the closest clone and noticed that he was on fire! That was also when I noticed that the amount of clones I had original summoned had been cut in half. They all had gone insane with rage as they fought with one another as each one of them began to burst into flames. I didn't have the slightest clue to what was going on, normally I would have full control over my clones, despite the situation but now they looked and felt like different people.

"Baka! What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled but suddenly all the strength n my body began to fade as I felt my body heat increase at a very high rate. I lost control over my chakra as my body began to plummet to the ground, but Yugito-chan caught me just in time. I was fading in and out of consciousness as my chakra continued to flare out of control. Instead of my clones puffing away like normal, they exploded instead, sending flames everywhere.

The loud explosions caught the attentions of my mom and the others as they came charging in towards us, expecting to see us in a fighting stance or being surrounded by enemies.

"Naru-chan!" my mother yelled.

**II**

"What's going on here?" Jiraiya asked.

"I don't know! All of a sudden Naruto-kun's clones began to explode and he suddenly fainted!"

"Calm down, Yu-chan, he'll be ok. What do you think is the problem?"

"Naruto and the Kyuubi are fusing at a faster rate than I originally estimated they would have. I was holding out on doing the ritual they taught me until I learned more about the Kyuubi from Naruto, but we have no choice."

"What do you mean? I thought we agreed to not use that."

"We have no choice, Kushina, unless you want to have a completely different person as a son. The Naruto you know would be dead as the combined personalities of Kyuubi and him would be combined into one, which means that an entirely new person would be born today and there would be no telling what would happen if the dark side of both the gaki and the Kyuubi became dominant. We would have a bean with the power of the Kyuubi roaming this world with deadly intentions. Don't worry, Kushina, Naruto will be alright and this was the Kyuubi's idea, along with the restrictions on her side as well."

"Restrictions?"

Jiraiya grabbed Naruto from Yugito's arms and gently laid him down on the ground. He then instructed Yugito to stand next to Kushina to give him room. He pulled out a kunai from his pouch and pricked Naruto's index finger, allowing blood to flow from it. With most of the blood dripping on the tip of the kunai, he stabbed it into the ground and began circling Naruto, creating a large seal in the process. He then pulled the kunai out of the ground and created four smaller seals to the north, south, east, and west of the original seal. Jiraiya then stabbed the kunai into the chest of Naruto and created three kage Bunshin, each one of them standing on a directional seal as they began to mirror one another while they went through a large set of hand seals. Naruto began to scream in agony as the kunai in his chest began to melt. Yugito motioned to him but Aoi grabbed her. Kushina, who couldn't stand to watch the suffering of her own son, knowing that she couldn't do anything about it, turned her back to the scene and began to pray that everything would be alright.

"Ashura Bunshin Kaihou no Jutsu!" The four Jiraiya's yelled as they finally completed the long chain of hand seals with well over a hundred different sign combinations. The three clones disappeared as the heat around Naruto nearly tripled, Naruto's screams of agony only intensified. Suddenly the heat burst into flames and began to form the body of a female. Slowly, the flames began to recede, showing the beautiful ebony skin of the voluptuous body the human _naked _form of the Kyuubi sported.

"Nice!!" Jiraiya yelled as blood began to gush from his nose as he passed out both from the chakra strain and the sight. Kyuubi knelt down and pulled Naruto into her lap as she began to rub his hair as she stared down at him.

"So this is what you really look like, huh, kit? You are a cute one, aren't you."

"Uh… Kyuubi?" Kushina started but Kyuubi interrupted her.

"Call me Regina, that's my real name and that's what kit here calls me."

"Ok… _Regina_… why are you naked?"

"Because I have no earthly clothes to wear. Do you guys have a spare I can used until I get my own?"

"Sure!" Kushina yelled as she landed a powerful punch to the jaw of Kyuubi, sending her colliding into the tree Naruto and Yugito were training on.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"Consider it a warm up for what I'm really about to do to you."

"No, Kushina!" Jiraiya yelled as he came back into consciousness. "You can't kill her or you will be killing Naruto as well."

"Nani?!"

"Even though the two are separated they are now bonded for life since they now share the same life source. When one dies, the other joins, whether they wish to or not. That is one of the restrictions I mentioned earlier."

"Ouch… I see it's going to suck being in the human form for the most part." Regina whined as she slowly walked back to Naruto and checked up on him.

"How can we trust her?!" Kushina yelled.

"I am pretty sure she won't betray us as long as Naruto is her anchor to her free will now. Before she was locked in a cage but now she could move around again. Besides, from the stories I heard about her from the gaki over there, she was the one who taught him a lot of what he knows about protecting himself."

"So does Naruto-kun no longer have the Kyuubi chakra's in him?" Yugito asked.

"Please call me Regina, ok? And he actually has more of my chakra now. See, the jutsu him and I made is sort of like a summon contract you would make with animals. In exchange for allowing me to freely walk around in my human form, I grant him free will of my chakra and _me _in more extreme situations. Because his body right now cannot withstand all of my chakra, our life chain allows us to channel our chakra between one another."

"What do you mean by _you_." Kushina asked.

"Well the kit can summon me into my kitsune form when he really needs help and then I retain all of my chakra, only restriction is he can return me to human form whenever he wants. Even though the kit trusts me like a sister, he still has some doubts. Who couldn't blame him though, kitsune are known for their cleverness." She said as a grin crept on her face.

"But how strong are you right now, then? In your human form." Aoi asked.

"Let see… a Kage at their prime I would say if not stronger."

"Good then, we're even so I can still keep you in check as well, _Regina._" Kushina said as she glared down at Regina. Regina matched her glare with one her own.

"Don't fight, you two, or I might have to keep both you in check." Naruto quietly said with a grin on his face as he finally woke up.

"NARUTO!" Everyone shouted as they rushed over to him.

"Are you ok, Naruto-kun?" Yugito asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just really need to rest. That was a lot harder than I originally predicted it to be. Felt like I was going to die, especially when ero-sennin stabbed me into the chest but everything is alright now. "

"Hey, Regina-san, could you come with me? I might have something you can wear in the meantime until we reach the next village."

"Arigatou, Aoi-chan!" Regina said in a cheerful voice that caught her off guard.

"Are you sure everything is going to be ok, Naru-chan?" Kushina asked. Naruto flashed his patent smile as he gave his mom thumbs up.

_**With Regina-san free from her cage, things easily became livelier around us. Especially the times when she caught ero-sennin peeping and the blows he took from the kitsune almost killed him every time. But he never learned, which made everything funny as hell. Regina was able to increase Yugito-chan and my training now that she could do what she wanted, along with hitting me on the head whenever I did something stupid. Life for once was fun for me.**_

**Translation:  
- ****Ashura Bunshin Kaihou no Jutsu**: The Ninja Art of the Fighting Demon Clone Release (Direct Translation) This jutsu creates a permanent Bunshin in the image of the demon's human form. It also separate the demon from its container, but keeps the two bonded as one, since they now share the same life force.


	22. 3rd Shippuu: Flames of the Wind

**Author's Notes: How's it going. First I like to apologize if there is a lot of grammar errors and typos in this update; I was in a hurry and I really wanted to post this since I have kept you guys waiting long enough. I decided to skip a year ahead just to move the story along before I began to **_**real **_**second part.**

**Also me and several other writers are trying to get a section for Nii Yugito on . If you could show your support and help us by emailing the admins and requesting this we would greatly appreciate it. Check out the Uzumaki Naruto and Nii Yugito forum for more information. Thanks again for reading and hope you enjoy.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**3rd Shippuu: Flames of the Wind

_**To say that the combined strength of Yugito-chan and I nearly tripled with Regina-san's and Aoi-san's added help would have been a horrible understatement. Despite the meaningless childish fights my mother and Regina-san got into, they still managed to train us to the highest degree and the bond that Yugito-chan and I shared grew massively as our relationship continued to mature under the guidance of everyone. To be honest, I didn't even imagine that I could grow that strong with just a year's worth of training under the four of them.**_

A year had passed since the combined attack of Suna and Oto on Konoha. Under the command of the newly instated Godaime, Danzou, the village had finally regained the strength that it once had before the attack. One could even go as far as even saying that the village was even more powerful that it was when in its prime.

Though this power was not the same as it was before. Under Danzou's influence, the village lost all its peaceful ways and became a militant powerhouse. To increase the influence that Konoha had and to keep the other four great shinobi villages in check, Danzou sent his personal army of ANBU shinobi, _ROOT_, on many missions instead of the usual shinobi. The success rate of each mission jumped to an all time high of nearly one hundred percent with the only failures being due to the non-_ROOT _members.

The ways of the Shinobi Academy were changed completely. The shinobi of the future were now undergoing the exact same entry training as the _ROOT _went through when they first _joined_. Konoha's forces were doubling in strength but losing all the emotion that once was sent as the pride of Konoha.

With the high success rate of missions and return of Konoha to its former position as strongest village among the five great shinobi villages, Danzou had the full support from the council, despite how much the previous generation (_Rookie Nine, Team Gai, and their sensei) _hated it.

Danzou sat in his office going through the profiles of all the old members of Konoha that were still listed as alive and active. The Sandaime, his former rival, had decided that they all had their reasons for leaving the village and did not classify them as nuke-nin because they still returned to the village from time to time and helped when needed. Danzou, on the other hand, felt that this was yet another one of his foolish pacifist ideas that did more harm than good to the village and started a plan to force all the former nin that were not in Konoha's Bingo book back dead or alive.

"You called for us, Godaime-sama?" A pink haired girl asked as the two ANBU guards that stood in front of the door let her in, along with another shinobi around her age with a pineapple shape for a head.

"Yes, I did, Haruno-san. I am sure you and Nara-san are aware of my latest plans to return all Konoha shinobi to the village." Both nodded as they stared at their Hokage. With his good eye, he glanced over at the wall to their right, which both glanced over to see what he was looking at. Suddenly a _ROOT _shinobi appeared with two pieces of paper in his hand. He walked over to the two Chuunin and handed each one of them a sheet. "Those sheets are the profiles of your targets and their last known whereabouts. The information on that sheet most be kept between you and your team."

"Team?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes, did I not speak clear enough for you, Nara-san? Haruno-san, you team will consist of you, Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, Haku, and Yamanaka Ino. Nara-san, you team will be Hyuuga Hinata, Sai, Tenten, and Inuzuka Kiba. Do you two have any questions?" Danzou shot them an angry glare that literally dared them to ask anything. No one knew exactly how strong the new Hokage was, but no one was brave or cared enough to find out. Because even if he wasn't strong at all due to his age and permanent injuries, there was still no way to overlook the fact that he had an army of emotionless tools who killed on order without even a millisecond of hesitation. True shinobi, one would say.

The two bowed their heads and left the room. Shikamaru waited till they were well out of reach of the Hokage office and made sure that no one was following them before speaking. He more than anybody didn't trust the new Hokage or like the way things were going.

"This is more than troublesome."

"Isn't everything that doesn't involve being lazy troublesome to you?" Sakura said in a sarcastic tone.

"This is different. Every since that senile cyclops took over, this village has been like a living hell. He rules by fear and is forcing the next generation to become tools even if they don't wish to be shinobi. I am about at the end of my rope with this place. I almost wished that I had left with Naruto. Then I wouldn't have to deal with this headache every day." Shikamaru sighed out loud as he sunk his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah… I know exactly what you mean. Everything I think about what would have happened if I followed them too. But I just have too much to do here."

"I suppose… well, we should meet up with our teams and head out as soon as possible. Good luck on your part of the mission."

"You too."

**II**

With both Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke going rogue, Team Seven was left in a tight bind with only two members. So Sakura suggested to Kakashi that Haku would be a perfect replacement, since him and Sakura had already been working with each other. Surprisingly, Danzou and the council agreed with their request, but Danzou threw in his own terms. That they had to accept one of his _ROOT _shinobi who was around their age. That was when Sai entered the team, making Team Seven yet again the strongest team in Konoha. Over the year, Haku had been promoted to Jounin and even though Sai did not have an official rank, it was said that he was on par with Haku, if not stronger than him, giving Team Seven one Elite Jounin, Two Jounin, and one Chuunin.

A lot people agreed to this team because this was what they believe would be the closest thing to the truth if Sasuke and Naruto hadn't abandoned the village. Now everyone had finally accepted Naruto as a powerful shinobi and feared him as a possible threat now that he no longer had ties with the village. They all felt that Sasuke and him would have easily made Jounin if they would have stayed a year.

No one knew the real reason why Danzou insisted that Sai was added to Team Seven, but many had their suspicions. Some felt that his presence there was to keep Sakura in check. Others thought that Team Seven still had contact with the Uzumaki and felt Sai was there as a spy. But only Sai and Danzou knew the truth and Sai only spoke to people when he felt that they needed an insult and no one dared to question Danzou on anything.

**III**

Shikamaru's team was the first to depart from Konoha two hours after receiving the mission. Like many things in his life, Shikamaru felt that this team was too troublesome.

"What the hell did you ask me?!" Kiba yelled.

"I think I said it loud enough for you to here me, Koinu-kun." Sai replied with a blank look on his face.

"There is no way in hell I would ever do that to Akamaru!"

"Could have fooled me. You two do seem to get along _fairly _well."

"That's it! I'm killing you right now!" Sai's emotionless face managed to grow a smirk as Kiba bared his fangs as Akamaru, who was now about four three feet tall, barked at the _ROOT _member.

"That's enough, you two. You are starting to give me a headache." Hinata snapped at the two of them. In the past, people who knew her personally would have been shocked if she did that, but that was the old Hinata. This Hinata was aggressive, arrogant, and powerful. She managed to catch up with her cousin in strength in the past year and was now on equal standings with him. Another trait that the girl managed to pick up that was completely different, was her ability to scare the living daylights out of someone just by glaring at them; a trait her father was considered a pro at.

"But, Hinata-chan…" Hinata shot both Sai and him a glare that instantly shut Kiba up and caused Akumaru to whimper. Even Sai turned his head as he too was a little frightened by the girl's glare.

Right before the mission was set for them to go, both Neji and herself were sent to take their Jounin test, but were forced to wait till after this mission. Which was the primary cause for her bad mood right now.

"Finally someone got them to shut up. Arigatou, Hinata-chan." Tenten said as she secretly sealed away several kunai that she was about to launch at the two if they didn't shut up soon.

"No problem, Tenten-chan." Tenten, Neji, Kurenai, and occasional Lee were the only people who could stay on her good side, despite her bad mood swings. Which was very unfortunate for Kiba, since he had set out to hook up with her now that Naruto was finally out of the way. Even going as far as to confess to her many times, but he would always receive the same answer. "_Naruto-kun will be the only man I love."_

Despite her drastic change in personality, Kiba actually fell even deeper in love with her, which only caused him more pain since she was no longer a shy girl who was nice to everyone.

"I still don't see why I was sent on this _retrieval _mission. I've got more important things to do than to force former Konoha-nin to return to the village." Kiba sighed.

"Stop your complaining, at least you weren't in the middle of becoming a damn Jounin!" Hinata yelled at him, which piped him down immediately.

"How about everybody be quiet for a little bit or everyone in the forest will know we're here before we even get anywhere. I don't know about you guys, but I am seriously not in the mood to have to fight an unnecessary battle right now." Shikamaru said in a tired tone.

"So are we expecting to fight someone, then?" Tenten asked.

"It's more than possible. I'm hoping that we don't have to since this mission would then transform into a suicide mission."

"Nani?!" Tenten, Hinata, and Kiba yelled at the same time while Akumaru barks.

"Who exactly is our target then and why in hell are we being sent on this mission if it could be this dangerous. Doesn't that make this a S-Class mission which would be better suited for ANBU?" Tenten asked.

"To be honest, Sakura and I do not even know who it is we are hunting. We only have their profiles that give us their description and last known whereabouts. I have my suspicions on why we were sent on this mission but I'd rather keep them to myself until I know for sure."

"What do you mean _suspicions_? I think it would be better if you just told us now instead of us finding out the _hard _way." Hinata said.

"If my suspicions are true, then you guys will know before anything bad happens. I have played ever possibility over in my head a thousand times and have thought of every outcome. If worse comes to worst, then I'll become your decoy while you escape." If finding out that mission could be a suicide mission was a huge shock, then hearing that Nara Shikamaru, the laziest Chuunin in Konoha, was going to give his life for them nearly gave them all a heart attack.

"Is it that serious?" Kiba asked.

"Very."

"I'd still rather hear what's on you mind before I continue on with this mission."

"And that's where the true problem lies. There are certain factors at play here that do not allow me to say anything unnecessary." He shot Sai a quick glance that went unnoticed by everyone, except Sai, who smiled.

"If I would have known this mission would be on this level, then I would not have taken it wholeheartedly."

"It's not like we had a choice in the matter since the Godaime-sama specially requested us for this mission, Hinata-chan. Besides, didn't you say that this could be your chance to find your _Naruto-kun_?" Hinata's pale eyes literally lit up with hearts as a huge smile crept on her face.

"You're right. What are you waiting for, Shikamaru? If we finish this mission ahead of schedule that would give me more time to find my Naruto-kun!" Hinata said while power-walking past him.

"I'm really starting to miss the shy Hinata…" Shikamaru said as he sighed out-loud.

"Really? I've already grown used to it. I kinda like how much she changed, even though I don't agree with how obsessed she has become of Naruto." Tenten said as she walked up to Shikamaru, matching his pace.

"I still think I'm better than the blonde baka any day."

"Must not be too much better than him since your hime-chan is madly in love with _him _and not _you_." The air around Kiba began to heat up as Kiba's chakra, along with his temper, began to raise sky high. "I hope that I didn't hit a nerve."

"That's it! I'm going to kill this Sasuke clone!" Kiba and Akumaru charged towards Sai, but he felt something bind him down. He glanced down to see his shadow twist around his limb and continue to tighten. "What's the deal, Shikamaru?!"

"Stop acting like a baka and let's just complete this mission. If we continue this way then if we are in danger, it would be your fault if our situation worsens before we even get to our destination." Shikamaru released his hold on Kiba and continued to walk.

"It's almost impossible to work with that emo freak wannabe!" Kiba yelled while Sai just smiled as he walked past him.

'_How in hell are we supposed to make it out alive with those two baka going off the handle every five seconds? And if we are looking for who I think we are, then we are definitely in trouble with this current team. The only one capably of fending for himself and escaping would be the one with an ulterior motive for being here.' O_nce again he shot a glance at Sai as he walked past him. '_No matter how much I try to, I can't shake the eerie vibe that guy gives off. It screams to me not to trust him. I am pretty sure that all our respective teams are free right about now, so why couldn't Danzou send us on these mission with them. Why did he have to assign these teams to Sakura and me? The more I think about it, the more it points to me being right. But hunches don't hold water and guarantee death if told to the wrong people.'_

**III**

The four days Shikamaru predicted it would take them to reach the outskirts of the Inka, a fairly large city in Land of Fire and the last whereabouts of their target, couldn't have went by quick enough; having to deal with the constant headaches his team caused him. He almost wished he had been paired with Sakura's team instead, even if Ino was there. One Ino was a far less evil than having to deal with Kiba and Sai's childish arguments and Hinata's constant mood swings. The only person he felt he could rely on was Tenten, the only normal one in the group.

Suddenly, Akamaru caught the scent of chakra several yards to the east of them, causing Kiba to instantly stop his squabble with Sai.

"What is it, Akamaru?"

Akamaru softly barked something at Kiba as he quickly glanced up at Shikamaru.

"He said that there's a strange chakra source coming from that direction."

"So you are the gaki that were sent to find me, huh?" A foreign voice called out from behind them as they all turned around to see a tall man but could not get a good look at him thanks to the dim light.

"Good, since you already know the reason we are here, care to come back with us without a struggle, then?"

"Sure thing." The man said as a large smile spread across his face.

'_What? That all seems too easy.' _Shikamaru said to himself as he braced himself for anything. Sai suddenly leaped backwards, catching everyone off-guard, wondering why he was doing this until a small wave of kunai were thrown at them.

"That is if you can defeat my cute little students." The man said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. As the smoke cleared, two shinobi stood in his place wearing dark blue Shinobi shozoku with their heads covered, only revealing their eyes.

"And this was what I did not want to happen…" Shikamaru said.

The two shinobi began to go through a sequence of hand seals mirroring one another. They grabbed each other's hand that was closest to them and continued to go through the seals with lightning speeds using their outside hands.

"Why are you guys standing around? We can't just let them complete this jutsu!" Shikamaru yelled. Tenten launched a barrage of kunai at them but the two shinobi simultaneously leaped to the trees while continuing with the hand seals. Shikamaru started to go through his own set of hand seals when he felt a large burst of chakra that caused him to mess up on his hand seals.

'_What the hell was that?'_

"Okibi no Kaze!" The two yelled as the wind around them began to pick up and swirl out of control. Suddenly, as if a set of explosives were lit, a large explosion ignited around the two.

"What the hell is this?" Hinata yelled as she activated her kekkei genkai. The shinobi on the right suddenly disappeared are reappeared right in front of her and landed a heavy attack on the chest of the Hyuuga, sending her flying into the tree behind them.

"Hinata-chan! You teme!" Kiba yelled as he charged towards that shinobi but was only met with a similar fate as the second shinobi that was still in the trees sent a large wave of wind laced with fire at him, sending him head first into the next tree and knocking him unconscious. The fire that the wind was carrying began to burn at his body.

The speed of the first shinobi was too much for Tenten to keep up as she continued to sling projectiles at him. And whenever someone tried to attack from the behind, the second's shinobi wind just sent them flying backwards. But that wasn't the only problem they were having with the pair. The air was greatly rising in temperature, making the air very hard to breathe. That was when it dawned on Shikamaru what they were doing. The purpose of the jutsu they used was to wear down their opponent while at the same time allowing them to attack successfully from long and short range, using their expertise to the highest.

'_Judging from the way they were attacking, the one who was doing the most melee attacks has a fire affinity and was the primary cause for the rise of temperature as the added wind acquired from the jutsu allowed him to push his fire out into the air; while the one who was fighting from a distance had a wind affinity and his main job is to keep the heat concentrated only on the surrounding area, so the heat wouldn't lose its effectiveness, using the heat that he had acquired to add to the effectiveness to his attacks. Not only is the wind ripping at us, but the hot temperature of the wind are burning us as well. This a perfect trap created by them, but there has to be a way to stop this. Hopefully Sai is still here and has not abandoned us.' _Shikamaru thought as he searched for Sai and saw him attacking the one with the fire affinity.

"Hinata, are you ok?" Shikamaru asked as Hinata returned to her feet and nodded. "Good, I need you to keep the one on the ground busy. Sai, I need you to stop fighting with that one and attack the one that is in the trees! Tenten and I will act as back up for both of you. Tenten, you concentrate on the one Hinata is fighting because of his speed while I'll help Sai!"

All of them nodded as they Sai leaped over the first shinobi, allowing Hinata to charge in his place. Thanks to her loss to Yugito in the preliminaries over a year ago, she had focused on the speed of her attacks making her faster than Neji when it came to close range combat.

So it was easy to say that she actually caught the first shinobi off guard when she was able to match her speed with her own, but that only forced said shinobi to step up the heat as the second effect of the jutsu jump into play. The wind the first shinobi had temporarily acquired began to push Hinata back, making it harder for her to keep up, not to mention the heat in the air that was continuously beating down on her.

Sai pulled out a scroll and brush before scribbling on it, creating several beast of ink and sent them towards the second shinobi, but another burst of wind made it nearly impossible to get to him. Unknown to him, Sai had created a shadow clone and was now behind with a kunai aimed at his head. As soon as the kunai penetrated the shinobi's skull blood gushed everyone right before the body disappeared in a puff of smoke. Suddenly Sai's clone was sliced in half by a blade of wind.

"Damn!" Shikamaru yelled. He had successfully trapped the second shinobi in his Kagemane no Jutsu but all was to no avail. His stamina was constantly dropping as his perspiration was getting the best of him as it began to drip in his eyes. He glanced back at Hinata and noticed that Tenten and her were not fairing well, as Hinata was now on her knees and Tenten had just received a heavy blow to the stomach. Kiba was still unconscious and Akumaru couldn't be much of help with his master out. Even Sai was having troubles dealing with the second shinobi as a second blade of wind hit its mark, cutting a large gash in Sai left side. Things were looking grim indeed. Suddenly Shikamaru felt the presence of stronger shinobi surrounding them.

"That's enough you two. It seem you guys were right, this jutsu is very effective." Said a voice that came from the trees.

"Told you so. Maybe you guys will start to listen to us more often." The second shinobi said as he finally reappeared on the very same branch that he was first spotted on.

"I didn't expect it to work this well though, maybe they were just too weak." The first shinobi said in a feminine voice as _she _instantly leaped to the second one's side and sat beside him.

"Yeah, I too was kind of underwhelmed by how easily they fell for the trap too. And I was looking forward to a good fight too." A second female voice said from the trees.

"You're just upset because you lost the bet. Surprisingly why you didn't bet on you son and future daughter-in-law." A third female said as she began to laugh.

"Shut up!"

"Nani?! You guys placed bets on this?!" the second shinobi yelled.

'_Hold up, that voice sounds just too familiar.' _Shikamaru thought.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked beating Shikamaru to the answer. Said shinobi only chuckled as he looked over at them. "Then that means that the one beside you can only be that bitch!" Hinata yelled as her chakra began to flare up, catching Naruto, who did not know of her drastic personality change before now.

Before Naruto could say anything to calm her down, Yugito was already gone, causing Naruto to sigh. Hinata was barely quick enough to pull out a kunai and block Yugito's attack.

"I was only going easy on you the first time, so don't get so cocky, eh?" Yugito said as her emerald eyes burnt ferociously as she glared at Hinata. Suddenly Sai appeared behind Naruto and slung a kunai into his chest but yet again it prove only to be another clone.

"Hmmm… It seems that the fight is not over." A fourth female voice said from the trees.

Suddenly two Naruto's landed a hard kick to the back of Sai's head but he too disappeared in a white cloud of smoke.

"That's it! I'm tired of playing. Yugito-chan!" Naruto yelled giving her an unknown signal. She suddenly disappeared as the chakra around Naruto became visible. "Kaze Naihatsu!" Naruto yelled sending a violent wave of wind in all directions slicing through everything it touched for about thirty yards.

Suddenly Jiraiya landed in front of him as the tree he was standing in fell to its side.

"I though I told you not to use that jutsu unless you warned us first!" Jiraiya yelled as bopped him on his head.

"Ouch! I did, Yugito-chan got it so it's not my fault that you didn't."

"Shut up!"

'_Naruto… just how strong did you actually get over the year?" _Shikamaru mentally asked. He had barely managed to dodge Naruto's attack, sensing the large amount of chakra it took to release it, he leaped up at the same time that Yugito did. Tenten had managed to pull Hinata down to the ground right before the wave reached them, and were lucky that the wind only carried them with it; even though it caused them to be thrown over forty yards away from the original area, which was the same thing that happened to Kiba and Akumaru. Sai was nowhere to be found, though.

"So, Jiraiya-sama, are you going to return to the village?" Shikamaru asked as he landed back on the ground.

"You guys didn't keep your end of the bargain. You guys were beaten by an experimental jutsu…" Naruto forcefully cleared his throat as he interrupted Jiraiya, causing him to sigh. "…a new jutsu, I mean. To be honest, we only came back because we knew you guys would look for us and those two wanted to test out that jutsu, the first jutsu that they created as a couple."

"So you guys knew about the mission Danzou ordered?"

"Don't underestimate my information network. But it is strange that this information would be so easy to obtain, though, considering how tight nit the old bastard is."

"You have just confirmed my largest suspicions then."

"Huh?"

"This mission was exactly as I thought; it was a suicide mission to get rid of the old generation that would slow his goals down."

"Nani? What do you mean by suicide mission?" Naruto asked.

"I doubt Danzou really wants for the old members of Konoha who are listed as Nuke-nin like you Naruto to return to Konoha. He sent on these missions in hopes that you guys would kill us and that holds the same for all the others who were sent on these types of missions. But I don't understand why he would assign Sai to my squad if this was true though."

"So, you are as smart as I heard about you, Nara-san. I didn't want to mention this part of my information just in case you wouldn't be able to handle it. As for the kid who works under Danzou, I am sure that he was sent with you to check the status of Naruto here and kill him since he felt that he would be a threat to the village."

"I see the village can't forget about me, I don't know if that's a good thing or not." Naruto said in a sarcastic tone.

"So what will you do now that you know the truth of this mission?" A smirk grew on Shikamaru face.

"Simple, I will die."

**Translations**:  
- **Koinu**: Puppy  
- **Okibi no Kaze**: Blazing fire of the wind (direct translation): Can only be perform by two people who have a wind affinity and a fire affinity. Temporality grants the users the ability to use the other affinity in combination with their own.  
- **Kaze Naihatsu**: Wind burst from within (direct translation): User creates a violent wave of wind that rips up everything in a thirty-yard perimeter of the user. Those who escape the blades of wind are still pushed away by the wind's pure strength.


	23. 4th Shippuu: The Shadows of Death

**Author's Note: I am terrible sorry for how long this update took. Things have been pretty hectic lately for me and I have no been able to work on this or my books. But one thing that came out of the long break was that I managed to think of some inspiration to keep the story going the way I want. Yet again sorry for the long wait and hope you enjoy.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**4th Shippuu: The Shadows of Death

Dashing through the forest using the shroud of the night as his cover, Shikamaru was frantically looking for his fallen teammates, hoping that they were still alive. He could sense the chakra signatures of his pursuers growing ever closer to his position. Not seriously watching his feet, he suddenly tripped over something and fell face first on the ground.

"Watch where you're running…"

"Tenten?"

"Yeah…" Tenten said as she rubbed her shoulders as she stood up. "What's going on, Shikamaru?"

"Did you already forget the situation?"

"Oh! Where is everyone?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out right now. I am glad that you are the first one I found. I need someone who can remain calm in this situation while we search for the others."

"Is it that serious?"

"After you guys got blown away by that one guys jutsu, I hid in the shadows and heard that they were merely holding back when we were fighting the first time and besides the target and his two students, there are four more that were watching from the tree tops. Now, they all are searching for us to finish the job."

"So we are retreating then?"

"For now. Unfortunately for us, we cannot return empty-handed, so we will fall back once we regroup and try to figure out our next move."

"If these guys are as strong as you say they are, what makes you think that we can take them even after we regroup?"

"I dunno… but we will have to figure that out once we make sure everybody is ok."

"So which way we look first?"

"We keep going the way I was going. I know I saw Hinata fly off in that direction as well. Move quickly and try to use as little chakra as possible."

"Why?"

"Because they are chasing after me. I lost them a little bit ago but I know they are still looking for me since one of them spotted me when I was hiding, forcing me to run."

"Things are really looking grim for us."

"Let's go."

Shikamaru began to dash off in the direction he was originally running while Tenten followed right behind him.

"Keep your eyes open for the treetops and I watch the ground."

"Ok."

Tenten's nerves were on edge. Never before had she sensed such a strong chakra flow before and yet she just happened to run into two people whose chakra were off the charts. If that made her nervous, then the thought of having to take down their sensei scared her to death. The guy who taught those two had to be the king of monsters, she thought.

Shikamaru suddenly stopped and sent her a hand signal to stop as well.

"What is it?"

"Hinata." Shikamaru jogged to the Hyuuga, whose body was sprawled out in an unpleasant position that made them feel the pain that she possibly felt just by looking. Shikamaru reached down and checked her pulse.

"Is she…?"

"No, she's alright. Just unconscious."

"Emmm… Naruto-kun… Right there…" Hinata groaned. Both Shikamaru and Tenten gave her a strange look.

"Do you think it's a good idea to wake her?" Tenten asked. Shikamaru sighed out loud as she began to shake the girl. The Hyuuga quickly leaped to her feet and slung her fist at Shikamaru's head. He was caught off guard by her sudden movement, causing him to fall backwards right when she swung at him.

"This is too troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered as he sighed.

"Huh? Where's my Naruto-kun?"

"You were dreaming Hinata. We need to hurry up and find Sai and Kiba and get out of here."

"Not yet! I still got to repay that bitch who has possessed my Naruto-kun."

"Huh? Naruto? What are you talking about Hinata?"

"What the hell do you mean '_what are talking about'_? Weren't you listening to what I was saying at the end of the fight?"

"Sorry, I was in a lot of pain and my ears were ringing."

"That was my Naruto-kun and that cloud bitch we were fighting earlier."

"Nani? Is that right, Shikamaru?"

"We don't have time to talk here, we still need to find the others quickly and head for the next town."

"I'm not leaving here until that bitch is dead."

"I understand that you are upset and angry, Hinata, but I have been placed in charge of this mission, which means my first responsibility is the well-being of the team. I will not let you attack them blindly and get killed. I refuse to have to deal with that on my conscience. Now this time I am not asking you, I am ordering you as your superior. Move out." Shikamaru glared at the Hyuuga, adding meaning to his stern words, which was something that they were definitely not used to coming from the lazy chuunin.

"Fine…"

"Have Naruto and Yugito really grown that strong over the years? You guys sure it was them?"

"I can recognize that foul chakra from anywhere. I made sure to memorize her chakra signature so I would know to kill her even if she was in the best disguise."

"Crazy women…" Shikamaru said as he walked ahead of them.

"What was that?" Hinata asked in a quiet but threatening voice.

"Nothing…"

The three quietly made their way through the forest, looking for the other two while keeping an eye out for Naruto and the others who were a lot closer to them than they original thought.

**II**

During this time Sakura's team had finally reached their destination. Unlike Shikamaru's team, they made it there with less of a hassle thanks to the fact that they were more professional and not constantly at each other's throat. The target was last seen in the town of Kaki, one of the larger cities in the Land of Fire and also a town that was known to be a gamblers' paradise. According to the profile that Sakura was given on her target, this person was known for their gambling habit so she knew that this had to be the best place to find their target.

"I'd never imagine that this place would be this _huge._ It makes Konoha look small in comparison." Ino said with wide eyes in disbelief.

"Which only makes the mission that much harder, since we have such a huge area to scan." Neji said as he crossed his arms. Sometime after the attack on the village, Neji had his missing hand replaced with the same material that were used on shinobi puppets and kept a black glove over it. The fake hand was designed to allow his chakra to flow freely through it and he could even do a lot more now than he could with his real hand. He had developed several jutsu that solely used his puppet hand. Despite the situation turning from negative to positive, he still looked forward to the day he could repay Naruto for what he did to him.

"Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem, but all we have to do is search all the casinos, right, Sakura-san?" Haku said with a bright smile on his face as he looked over at her. She merely nodded.

'_I still don't quite understand why I was placed in charge of this mission over Haku-kun with him being my senpai in rank?' _Sakura thought.

"Everything ok, Sakura-san?"

"Yeah… just thinking to myself a little."

"Yosh! Let's move out!" Lee cheered as he charged ahead of them. He suddenly was grabbed from behind by Neji and pulled back.

"It's better if we let Sakura-san decide what we should do first before you go running off." everyone turned and looked at Sakura who still seemed lost in thought.

"Sakura-san? Are you're sure that you are ok?" Haku asked as he nudged her a little.

"Gomen, gomen, my mind seemed to have wandered off again. I'll be fine. We split up into two teams. Me, Neji, and Ino will search all of the casinos in the city to see if we can find any clue of her and Haku and Lee will search all the hotels. Her profile states that she is a nomad type, so we shouldn't have to worry about whether she lives here or not."

"Hai!" Everyone yelled as they all leaped down the hill toward the town at blinding speeds.

Sakura took the very first large building that came to her sight. It was much larger than any of the buildings she had seen in Konoha and the amount of lights it was giving off made her almost float to it as if she were hypnotized.

As she entered the building, the stale smell of cigarette smoke attacked her senses as she instantly began to cough. She had only been in there for about five seconds and she already hated the place.

"Well, we sure have a cute one here, don't we, boys?" A man called out to her with a large bottle of sake on his table. He was surrounded by several large men, which gave Sakura the idea that maybe he was a yakuza. She felt it was in her best interest to ignore their taunts and continued to search the rest of the club before asking any questions.

"Hey, where ya going? I want to have a lil chat witcha." The man called out again this time getting up and stepping in front of her. She sighed to herself as she glared up at him.

"Oh? This one sure has a mean look on her face boss." One of the other men said as he too stood up to get a better look.

"It's ok, I like 'm' feisty." The first man said as a mischievous grin grew on his face. The man was the same height as Sakura, which made him much smaller than his _henchmen_; he reeked of cigarette smoke and alcohol. It was taking almost all of her willpower to keep from vomiting on the man.

"I don't have time to _chat_. I am looking for someone known as the _Legendary Sucker_, would you happen to know anything about her?" All of the men just looked at each other and began to laugh which just further annoyed Sakura.

She walked passed them, hoping to continue her search but one of the henchmen grabbed her by her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going? We're not done talking to you."

"Well, I was." She shot back as she sent enough of a killer intent to cause him to release her.

"I think it would be best if you let the girl go before you all get killed." A voice came from behind the group, causing everyone to turn around. It was hard to get a good look at the man's face thanks to the dark cloak and the kasa he was wearing.

"And what do _you _want, huh?" as soon as the man finished his sentence his eyes widened as if he saw a ghost and collapsed to the ground. Sakura inspected the man checking his pulse and couldn't believe what she was seeing. The man was dead and there were no physical injuries anywhere. Thanks to her training with Kakashi, Haku, and the added assistance of Kurenai, she had became an expert of genjutsu. She could now sense whenever there was one in use or about to be in use so there was no way that man in the cloak could have used one. She turned back toward the man to ask him a question, but he was already gone. She quickly glanced toward the entrance and saw him heading in that direction.

"Wait!" She called out to him but before she had even realized it, he had used the same jutsu to take out all of the men that was surrounding her. She quietly gasped for air when she saw the men who was once pestering her now dead. She quietly jogged toward the entrance, hoping to catch up with the man and not be accused of murder as well.

As she stepped out of the building, the man was already gone. She glanced up at the rooftops and caught the tail end of a fleeting shadow and leaped on top of that building. She was more than surprised to not only see the cloak wearing man standing there as if he was waiting for her but another man dressed in similar attire standing there as well. The second one was as a little larger in size than the first and he carried something large on his back that was wrapped in bandages.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"It's about to begin." The man replied.

"What is?" Suddenly the two men disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving her more confused than ever. She suddenly heard a couple of people talking down on the other side of the building. When she glanced down she received her second shock for the day. There stood her target with a shorter dark haired women along side her with a pig in her arms. A few feet in front of her were Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sasuke...?"

Suddenly someone grabbed Sakura from behind and placed a kunai into her throat, just enough to pierce the skin and cause blood to show.

"Long time no see, Sakura."

"T…Ty?"

"It's good that you remember me, because thanks to my missing eye I haven't forgot about you either."

**III**

"I still find it hard to believe that was Naruto." Kiba whispered as he looked over the wounds he received from the attack.

"Of course that was my Naruto-kun, I knew it from the beginning." Hinata said as she gazed up into the sky as she remembered the very vivid dream she had before Tenten and Shikamaru woke her up.

"Whatever… Anyway, where's Sai?" Kiba asked. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders as Tenten continued to go through her scrolls. "And I see that no one cares."

"I do, I just need to think of a new plan before we go out and look for him. We don't know if those two are still chasing after us, not to mention we still have Jiraiya to worry about it." Shikamaru stated.

"Then I suggest that we retreat back to Konoha, this is obviously way over our heads. This is more of a mission that the ANBU should have been sent on." Tenten said.

"Just leave the bitch to me, I know I can take her on, now that I know who she is." Hinata said.

"But I thought you said that you knew it was them from the beginning, though?" Kiba asked.

"I said my Naruto-kun, you baka!" Shikamaru only sighed to himself as he tried to think of a creative plan. Suddenly a large amount of chakra was felt from several yards away. Tenten was the first one to notice the whereabouts of Sai as she glanced up. It seemed that Sai had decided to take care of Naruto himself, despite being outnumbered two to one. But it also seemed that Yugito was staying out of this fight.

"What's going on over there?" Hinata asked.

"What the hell is that idiot thinking!" Tenten yelled.

"Well, it looks like they are evenly matched though." Kiba said.

Indeed, it did look that way not only to Kiba's eyes, but everyone's who was watching their battle as well.

Sai and Naruto were in the middle of a power tussle with both their hands lock around the others. Naruto pushed upward and sent a high kick to Sai's face. But Sai tilted his head upward in the direction the kick was going, just barely dodging the attack. Naruto took this chance to create some distance between the two as he used his leg's momentum to flip himself into the air. While in the air, he pulled up two kunai and activated his Kazekatana and slashed twice in the air, sending two blades of wind crashing towards Sai.

Sai elegantly twirled around the two attacks and slung two shuriken at him at the same time. Naruto deflected the two projectiles with his Kazekatana before he landed on the ground. Sai took advantage of the small bit of time where Naruto was still yet to land, which normally would have been a disadvantage for most shinobi; but given Naruto's natural affinity for wind, he quickly built up enough chakra in his palms to force wind out of them, pushing him backwards and allowing him to dodge Sai's attack.

Sai pulled out a scroll and an ink brush and began to quickly scribble on it creating several creatures as they all come to life.

"Chouju Giga!" Sai yelled as the creatures began to attack Naruto. The beasts took on several different appearances from a large bear to a tiger. Naruto began to slash through the beasts with his Kazekatana and blowing the others back using the wind he generated from his palms. But this also left an opening for Sai to launch a full on attack, as he landed two kicks to the unsuspecting face of Naruto, sending him crashing into a nearby tree. Sai pulled out another scroll and began to draw dozens of daggers and launched it into the air.

"Dagger Sumi-e Rendan!" Sai yelled as the scroll shattered into a barrage of ink daggers, raining down on Naruto's helpless body. The daggers began to piece Naruto's body but his body only disappeared in a puff of white smoke. Suddenly Sai's body was ripped apart by a barrage of wind blades as Naruto appeared at the top of a nearby tree. But Sai's body was only replaced by a log as leaves floated down to the ground. Naruto shot a quick glance at Yugito as a gust of wind surrounded him. As the wind dispersed, Naruto was no longer there to be seen and Yugito had slipped away too.

"That was insane…" Kiba said breaking the silence that had came over them.

"Didn't know Sai was capable of that." Tenten said.

"Not many know what he is capable of since he keeps to himself. This is the first time I've seen him in action." Shikamaru stated as he stood up.

"Now what?" Hinata asked as she stood up too.

Suddenly a gust of wind caused both of them to fall backwards as Kiba and Tenten braced themselves against the tree that was near them. Unfortunately for them, the wind acted as a cloak for the rain of daggers. As the wind slowly began to die down Tenten glanced over at Kiba and noticed that he was all right but was devastated as she looked to her left.

**IV**

"I didn't expect Sai to be your equal, he almost screwed up our plan." Shikamaru said as he sat down in the grass fields outside of the forest as the moonlight flickered off the grass blades. After meeting secretly with Naruto's group, Shikamaru created the plan to stage his own death. The Shikamaru that died in the woods was an advanced kage Bunshin created by Naruto and the same goes for Naruto himself and Yugito. But Naruto was fighting Sai at one hundred percent.

"Yeah… I know. Not to mention the strain my body took after using the Kage Maneru Bunshin no jutsu three times while fighting." Naruto said as he collapsed on his back and spread his arms out. Yugito plopped down on top of him giving him a mischievous glare as she dived in for the kiss. Shikamaru sighed to himself as he glanced toward the other way, but what he saw was one of the last things he actually wanted to see.

"Hinata…?"

--  
Translations:  
**Kasa** – is any of several sorts of traditional hats of Japan. Ex. Rice hat  
**Chouju Giga** - Sai draws creatures on his sketchpad, and then uses this technique to bring them to life. They can act as they normally would (for example, a bird can be used for espionage or flight, while a tiger would attack his target), or he can control them for other purposes. (via NarutoChaos.)  
**Dagger Sumi-e Rendan** – Dagger Wash Panting Barrage, Sai scribbles dozens of drawings of daggers on a scroll and tossing it into the air releasing enough chakra at the same time creating real life daggers raining down on his opponent.  
**Kage Maneru Bunshin no Jutsu** –The art of Shadow Mimic Clone, an advanced version of the kage Bunshin no jutsu created by Naruto that allows him to recreate clones of other who are capable of performing the exact same moves that Naruto has witness them to do and also the exact same thought patterns and tone's in voice. Works better if Naruto has the original by him during the duration of the jutsu.


	24. 5th Shippuu: Confrontation

**Author's Note: Very sorry for the late update on this one. I am seriously going to try to bring this story back to at least a once every one/two-week update schedule.**

**Also I would like for you guys to check out my newest story **_**Vanished Without a Trace. **_**It is another Naruto and Yugito story based on an idea crazyfoxdemon came up with. It also will be on a one/two-week update schedule (hopefully). Thanks again for the support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**5th Shippuu: Confrontation

Sakura did not know exactly what was going on during that time. She didn't have the slightest clue why Orochimaru and her target were talking with one another. She knew that they were teammates in the past but she also knew that they weren't exactly allies anymore after Orochimaru's decision to defect from the village and become the heinous hebi that he is. Then there was the issue of Uchiha Sasuke, that was her first time seeing him since the Chuunin exams over a year ago. At first, there was this small glint of happiness in her heart seeing that he was more than alright. But then the bad after taste of betrayal began to stab at her taste buds.

"Did you forget I was here, Sakura?" Ty asked as she pressed her kunai even harder against Sakura's neck, causing her to groan a little.

"How could I?" Sakura spat in a sarcastic tone.

_I have to get this woman off of me and find out what that meeting is all about._

"If I were you, I would be more worried about yourself than what's happening down there, you know?"

"Good advice." Sakura said as she slammed the back of head against Ty's face. Sakura quickly dropped down low and slung her right leg towards Ty, sweeping her off her feet and on her back. Sakura grabbed her special chained whip and created some distance between the two of them.

"Good one." Ty said as she quickly leaped back to her feet holding her head.

"Arigatou."

_I hope the others just happen to see this and come aid me. _Sakura thought as she locked her sights on Ty but she had already disappeared. Suddenly there was a heavy blow to the back of her neck as she was sent flying off the roof. She used her whip to catch hold of the edge, just barely saving her from falling.

"Where in hell is your mind today, Sakura? That's twice I caught you zoning out while fighting me, and it's beginning to piss me off!" Ty yelled as she charged toward Sakura, pulling out several kunai in the process. Sakura pulled herself back on the roof and slung several shuriken before she landed, forcing Ty to deflect each of the attacks.

"Gomen!" Sakura yelled as she charged Ty and sent a right kick to her face. Ty deflected the blow with her left forearm and sent a kick of her own that connected to Sakura's stomach. Sakura grunted in pain as she bit down on her thumb and began to spread the blood across the chain whip, causing it glow a pink aura.

"You and your damn pink colors!" Ty yelled as she began to throw a barrage of punches at Sakura but they all seemed to just glide right through her as she continued to cover the whip with her blood. "Genjutsu?!"

"Still slow, I see." Sakura said as she mentally released the genjutsu, revealing the massive amount of chain that was wrapped around Ty.

"When did you?"

"Secrets." Sakura smirked. "Now tell me what is going on down there." Ty only matched Sakura's smile with one of her own.

"_Secrets_." Ty replied as she sent a massive voltage of electricity from her body into the chain indirectly shocking Sakura in the process. "Your old tricks won't help you this time."

Sakura dropped to her knees as she forced herself to release her weapon. She pushed herself back to her feet as she glared at Ty. Without the chakra pressure on the chains, Ty easily broke free and lunched several punches and kicks to Sakura's battered body with the added effects of electricity. She pulled back on her relentless assault just enough so she could watch Sakura collapse against the rooftop face first.

"Heh… cough… and you were taunting _me_ about old tricks… cough." Sakura said as she pushed herself back to her feet as she coughed up blood.

"You liked that, huh? Notice how I don't even need hand seals to release my affinity now thanks to Orochimaru-sama tutelage. The kunoichi you fought a year ago had only a tiny fraction of the power of the person that stands before you now." Ty taunted as sparks began to dance around her body.

"Does someone have a crush on the ero-hebi now?" Sakura smirked as she picked up her chain whip never taking her eyes off of Ty.

"You're just jealous that I'm closer to _your _precious Sasuke-_kun _than you've ever been in more ways than one." Sakura blushed slightly as the thought quickly ran through her mind.

"In the past that _might _have bothered me, but thanks to Naruto and Haku-kun, I learned that there're more important things in life than being obsessed over an insane pessimistic egotistical emotional _dobe_."

_That one was for you, Naruto._

Sakura quickly flashed through a set of hand seals as the chain whip began to circle her almost like a snake.

"That chain trick is not going to work a second time!"

"Good! Because this is a different trick that I know you will not be able to handle! Sakura Ryuu Hoippu!" Sakura yelled as the head of the chain whip began to literally ooze with pink chakra until it formed the head of a dragon. Sakura let go of the chain and charged at Ty, drawing two kunai in the process. Ty focused on Sakura as she increased her electric voltage but that only proved to be another mistake on her part. The chain dragon wrapped itself around her body and began to tighten its grip as it began to sink its fangs deep into Ty's neck. Ty was forced to let out a loud howl as Sakura stabbed both of her kunai into Ty's chest. The chain continued to squeeze tighter as her life slowly began to slip away.

Sakura pulled out one more kunai and pointed it toward Ty's neck.

"Now if you tell me nicely what's going on down there, I _might _actually allow you to leave here alive." Suddenly there were two katana angled in an X-shape around her neck pulsing with electricity.

"And who were you calling a _dobe_?"

Sakura tried to quickly move but only felt the two blades move in closer to her neck but she was met with great relief when a third katana appeared pointed at Sasuke's neck.

"Long time no see, ne, Sasuke-san?" Haku said with an ominous smile on his face.

**III**

Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was seeing. He closed his eyes and began to rub them making sure that he wasn't just seeing things. He also focused his mind trying to sense if someone was using a genjutsu in the area but that too proved to be false as well. There standing right in front of him was one Hyuuga Hinata with such a furious look on her face that it made Shikamaru fear for his life.

He took a quick glance behind him and noticed that both Naruto and Yugito didn't hear his sudden outburst at the sight of the Hyuuga, which was a good thing in his book. He quickly stood up preparing himself for anything.

"Hinata…?"

"I'm not as dumb as you make me out to be Shikamaru, I knew about your plan as soon as we regrouped." This was when Yugito and Naruto realized that it wasn't just the three of them anymore. Both nuke-nin remained in the same position there were in but Yugito grabbed two kunai from Naruto's pouch.

Hinata shot a deadly glare at Yugito's direction as if she knew what she had just done. Naruto did not know how to treat the situation at all. He knew if he let Yugito handle it, things would get bloody quick. So, Naruto gently griped her waist, making sure she doesn't get away from him before he could stop her.

"What do you want, Hinata?" Shikamaru asked trying to be the mediator between the two parties.

"Why did you hide it from us?"

"This is something I decided on my own, the plan was to fake my own death and allow you guys to escape back to the village with my death as your excuse for failure."

"So you're just going go rogue, then? What about your family?"

"Word would reach them privately before you guys made it back." Hinata glanced down as she began to search for the right words to say. She then shot a look at Naruto, whose eyes were constantly on swivel between her, Yugito, and Shikamaru.

"Take me with you too, Naruto-kun!"

"Knew she was going to ask this, so troublesome."

"To hell with that!" Before Naruto could tighten his grip around her, Yugito had already slipped away and was heading toward Hinata.

"No one asked you, bitch!" Hinata yelled as she drop down under Yugito's initial attack and landed seven hard blows to her abdomen, sending Yugito crashing against the ground and closing up several of her tenketsu points.

"You got lucky last time, neko bitch!" Shikamaru sighed to himself as Naruto rushed over to Yugito's side.

"Just watch, Naruto-kun. I'll show you a real woman right now." Hinata said as she activated her Byakugan. Yugito literally disappeared from the ground as she used her super speed to go back on the offensive. Surprisingly, Hinata was able to counter her first attack.

"Women trouble, kit?" Kyuubi in her human form appeared behind Naruto with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Not funny, Regina-san… Suggestions?" Kyuubi merely giggled as she crossed her arms shaking her head.

"This is your mess. This is what you get for being such a playboy."

"Hey, this isn't my fault!" Naruto pleaded as Kyuubi continued to enjoy the show. "You're no help. Where's kaa-sama?"

"You know I don't keep up with what that insane woman does. I try to stay out of her way as much as possible." Naruto sighed as he watched the two kunoichi exchange a couple of blows.

"What about Ero-sennin or Aoi-san?"

"Your mom sent her on some secret mission and I don't have a clue where that hentai excuse of a human is." During this time Shikamaru decided that it was a waste of time trying to stop them and sat down. He felt it was more Naruto's problem than his own, anyway.

"Look on the bright side kit."

"And what would that be?"

"At least now me and you finally get some alone time." Kyuubi said as she embraced Naruto from behind, pressing her supple chest against his back, causing him to slightly blush.

"Stop it, Regina-san."

"BACK OFF MY NARUTO-KUN!!" Yugito and Hinata yelled as both kunoichi stopped fighting long enough to catch Kyuubi in the act. Kyuubi only giggled more as she squeezed Naruto even tighter, ticking them off even more.

"Only if you guys promise to play nicely with my lil' kit. He is the only one I have, you know?" Kyuubi said as she released Naruto and shushined off in a gust of wind. Shikamaru only yawned as he stretched out on the grass.

Suddenly a dark mist began to cloud the place. Both Naruto and Shikamaru glanced over at the two kunoichi who quickly refused having anything to do with the strange events. That quickly set everyone in a defensive state of mind as they waited for someone or something to make their move.

All of a sudden a fire broke out, trapping them in a flaming pit of hell, forcing all four of them to back in closer to each other.

"What now?" Shikamaru said as he glanced around them, looking for any chance of an opening. Suddenly several shinobi leaped over the flames launching kunai from all angles. Naruto ran through several hand seals before he leaped in the air.

"Kaze Naihatsu!" He yelled as a massive gust of wind blew away all of the kunai that were thrown at them and at the same time pushed back the shinobi as well.

Using her Byakugan, Hinata took a closer glance at the enemy shinobi and noticed that they were all sporting both their home forehead protectors of Konohagakure and others were wearing ones from Kirigakure.

"Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

"Since when has Konoha and Kiri been close allies?"

"We're not… why you ask?"

"Because we are fighting ANBU members from both villages and they seem to be working together."

"Nani?" Shikamaru asked. Suddenly another barrage of kunai began to rain down upon them, forcing Naruto to use his jutsu again. This time he added more of a kick to it, sending the kunai into several of their owners.

"Maybe you guys should do a little less talking and a lot more helping, ne?" Naruto said as he landed on his feet, simultaneously creating several clones. Yugito created three of her clones and joined Naruto in battle. The two of them alone with their clones began to fend off the shinobi using great coordination between them.

"Those two work really well together." Shikamaru said.

"Whatever…" Hinata groaned as she landed several blows on the closest enemy to her.

It didn't take much time for the four of them, plus some clones, to take care the rest of the ANBU shinobi that were attacking. Yugito walked up to the fire and began to absorb it with her chakra. Shikamaru walked over to one of the fallen shinobi and examined their body. He was still finding it hard to believe what exactly was going.

"Since when have Kiri and Konoha Root worked together like this? What is that cyclops planning this time?"

"Now you know you definitely need me to come along now, since you have two villages after you." Hinata said with a smirk on her face.

"No, Kiri makes the third village including Kumo as well and let's not forget the Akatsuki who are after me and Yugito-chan."

"Akatsuki?" Hinata asked.

"Don't worry about it since it's none of your concern. And we already have two people who are stronger than any village's Kage along with Jiraiya and Naruto-kun who is quickly catching up to them. There is not enough room for you or _you_." Yugito glared at Shikamaru before walking back into the forest.

"Uh...?"

"Don't worry about her. The Akatsuki is a powerful criminal organization consisting of S rank nuke-nin with the goal to capture all of the jinchuriki. At least that's all we know right now. And Yugito-chan is right about one thing. Are you sure you want to defect, Shikamaru?"

"One hundred percent positive."

"What about me, Naruto-kun?"

"There's no way I could let you come with us, Hinata."

"Why not?"

"Because this is our problem only. Not even sure if kaa-sama is going to let Shikamaru even join us. Not to mention the fact that the entire village is already on high alert since I left and if they found out you left with us, then they could try to pin it on Kumo, which would lead to another shinobi war. I don't really care for either village but I also don't want a war because of it."

"What do you mean by war?" Hinata asked.

"A lot of the council members believe that Naruto defected to Kumo since he left with a Kumo kunoichi, even if she had already announced her independence from Kumo, and the relations between the two villages have not been the best since that time when they tried to kidnap you when you were a baby. Things could really get out of hand." Shikamaru answered her.

"But…"

"Gomen, Hinata… you can't come with us."

"But I don't care if a war broke out over this. I only care about you."

"Hinata… I already have Yugito-chan…"

"But I'm better than she is… I could…" Naruto placed his index finger on her lips and smiled before walking off in the direction Yugito went. With that smile of his, she could no longer argue with him anymore. But that didn't mean she was giving up on him, of course not.

**IV**

"I'm still confused on rather to call you Haku-kun or Haku-chan…" Sasuke said as he glared at up Haku. Haku only grinned as he placed his katana even closer.

"Release Sakura-san, simple request, ne?"

"As long as she releases Ty, simple, huh?" the two of them glared at each other before Haku glanced at Sakura.

"Let her go, Sakura-san…" Sakura nodded her head and called off her dragon chain but she didn't cancel the jutsu. All four of them quickly created some distance between themselves with each pair sharing a side of the roof.

"Now what, Haku-kun?" she glanced over at Haku and noticed he had his eyes closed as he recited some seals under his breath. She quickly glanced over at Sasuke and noticed that his Sharingan eyes were spinning.

'_What's going on?'_

Suddenly Haku and Sasuke both disappeared from sight, leaving an injured Ty and Sakura on the building. Ty smirked as she glared over at Sakura.

"So is he your new replacement for your dear Sasuke-kun?"

"Shut up before I do you a favour and kill you!"

"Temper, temper, pinky" Not wanting to hear anymore she pulled back on her dragon chain and was in the motion of sending it toward Ty before Ty held out her hand in a stopping motion.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you… you may not be able to see it but those two are locked in a heated battle. The fact that you can't see it shows how weak you really are."

"Huh?"

Sakura begin to stare at her closely until she saw a flash of light accompany by a _clink_ sound. Suddenly there were several more.

"Are they really moving that fast?"

"Kami, you're slow. I can't believe I fell for another one of your tricks again."

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Haku were locking horns with their katana. The two of them decided that they would use their natural abilities first before switching to their jutsu. Sasuke felt that he still had a debt to settle for his lost to him more than a year ago. Both shinobi had greatly increased their capabilities since that time and it was showing in their scuffle. Their speed was nearly equal, a fact that wore heavy on Sasuke's nerves. He had always prided himself in his speed and to have Haku easily match him was sending him a little bit off the edge.

The two of them broke free from their dance and separated, returning to their original positions.

"You ok, Haku-kun?"

"We will have to continue this another time." Haku said to her.

"What's wrong?"

"Something strong is coming our way. Sasuke can sense it too."

"Huh?" Suddenly the perfectly beautiful sky shifted to a dark grey as the clouds began to rumble with thunder, and just as unannounced as the sudden darkness, it began to rain. The chakra signal that both Haku and Sasuke were sensing increased tenfold where Orochimaru was. All four of them rushed to the side of the roof to see what exactly was going on down there.

"Don't tell me you are going to take this hebi up on his offer, eh, Tsunade-nee?" Kushina said as she walked up to the gambling blonde with a smile on her face.

"Now, who said I would ever do such a thing? What brings you here?" Tsunade asked keeping her serious mask on, despite the happiness she felt thanks to the addition of Kushina and… that's when she wondered who the hell was the other kunoichi who was standing beside Kushina.

"This is Aoi-san, she has been helping me train my son."

"Nice to meet you, Aoi-san." Aoi started to say something but Orochimaru coughed loudly, gaining all of their attention.

"Glad to see you guys are reunited and all but me and Tsunade-chan have important business to conduct here."

"Didn't you hear me, hebi? I'm here to make sure this deal doesn't happen. You already have the Uchiha, why haven't you switch bodies yet?" Orochimaru merely glared at Kushina, he then looked over at Kabuto and then up at Sasuke, who was about to order an attack until the last thing he needed showed up with a large smile on his face. Not because he was happy to see his former female teammate, but because he had just finished gathering a great amount of _research._

"Oh… am I interrupting something?" Jiraiya asked as his expression became serious. Orochimaru knew things would be completely one sided if he was going to take Tsunade by force thanks to his injury.

He nodded his head to Kabuto who sent a signal to Sasuke as he threw down several smoke bombs, clouding their escape. Kushina thought to chase after them but their chakra signal was no longer traceable.

"How long have you been here, Jiraiya?" Kushina asked as she glared at him.

"Awhile… I have already filled Tsunade in on all of the details."

"So I guess your appearance here only proves that what the hentai was saying is true. You really plan on rebuilding that country? And in that place of all places?"

"What's wrong with it? It's the perfect place for it if you ask me. That's why I'm here to ask you for another favor, Tsunade-nee."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll accept just as long as you help me pay off my debt and build a big gambling hall for me."

"I see she is still the same, huh, Shizune-nee?"

"Yeah… unfortunately."

"You know it's going to be tough, though."

"That's why I'm asking for your help."

"When does it start?"

"Two years from now. Need time to get Naruto and Yugito ready. We are going to need all the fire power we can get and I'm sure those two would almost be as strong as us when we get there."

Sakura knew that this would be their only time to confront their target but as soon as the rain stopped the entire group of shinobi disappeared.

"What the hell is going on here?"

_**Translations**__:  
Sakura Ryuu Hoippu_: Cherry Blossom Dragon Chain: The user channels a large amount of chakra into their chain whip causing it to take the form of a long dragon with it's own conscious.


	25. 6th Shippuu: Tides of War

**Author's Note: Yup I'm back. Sorry for the long hiatus. Decided to focus on my book a little more and also the fact that I also recently started to work again. So yet again I apologize for my huge absence. For those of you who are also my **_**Vanished Without a Trace **_**fans, I will update that one pretty soon too. Thanks for waiting and not hunting me down! Hope you enjoy.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**6th Shippuu: The Tides of War

Two years had passed since the order was sent to retrieve the two members of the legendary sanin that still had some minuscule tides with Konohagakure but both missions turned out to be failures with the _death_ of one of the shinobi that were sent to the mission. After this, things seemed to enter a new stage of development as Konoha became more aggressive towards the other villages as they began to attack nearby establishments and adding them to their power, causing Sunagakure to start to ramp up their armed training in preparation of an attack. The newly appointed Kazekage, Gaara, felt that there was the possibility of this _new _Konohagakure attacking them as well, thanks to what had happened several years ago. This cause a cold war to break out between the two villages, killing all efforts to revive the treaty that was formed so long ago.

Kumogakure was also making moves of their own as they began to spread their territory like Konoha as they too began to invade and conquer some of the smaller shinobi villages around the boarders of the Land of Lightning, causing Konoha to keep an even closer eye on their eldest enemy.

Amegakure felt the most alarmed about this new predicament since they were still recovering from their own internal conflict and was amongst the weakest of the villages and could be attacked by either Konoha or Kumo at anytime.

The Land of Water was probably having the most trouble since they were suffering from a similar civil war as Amegakure did but on a much larger level. Twenty-five of their islands had been seized by an unknown organization strong enough to wave off the forces of Kirigakure.

Yeah, almost everywhere you turned you could sense the brewing of a powerful storm that could lead to a war that would be twice the size of the previous ones.

**II**

The damp air of the spring night created a cool breeze as three guards walked past their post, discussing what their plans were after their shift was over. Despite the size of this village, a large portion of it consisted of a compound where the village head resided. Not much was known about what happened behind those gates and not everyone wished to know, since the village head was a part of a much larger organization that claimed control over the twenty-five island chain known as the Umihebiza Archipelago.

"So, what's the status?"

"There're about three soldiers standing guard outside of the gates but our target is yet to be seen."

"They probably already know we're here."

"I highly doubt it since I double and triple checked everything. Everybody thought I was one of his advisors. I physically filled out his schedule."

"Yeah, but things just seem too easy. This guy is supposed to be powerful and his guards were suppose to be crafty and cunning, according to the details."

"You are reading too much in this right now. If you keep overcomplicating things then we are sure to meet with trouble." A kunoichi said.

"See? She agrees with me too."

"That doesn't mean anything, baka… she always agrees with you."

"Now is not the time for arguing."

"Yeah…" Both shinobi said as they kept hidden under the veil of the shadows and the darkness of the night.

"Something is happening."

The three of them homed in on the gate and noticed that the three soldiers were now staring in the distance at something. Suddenly the wind began to pick up as suddenly a carriage appeared out of nowhere. A man in a dark blue cloak stepped out and all of the soldiers quickly bowed to show their respect.

"Looks like our target is finally here."

"Don't make a move until those gates open."

"Don't speak the obvious… we have been doing stuff like this way before you joined us."

"A baka is always a baka despite the amount of experience they have."

"I kind of miss the old lazy you."

"You know what? Me too."

A few words were exchanged between the man in the cloak and the soldiers before the first one began to open the gates for them to enter. A breeze of wind blew past them, giving all three shinobi the chance to enter the compound unnoticed. As soon as the gates were closed the kunoichi appeared behind the cloaked man with a kunai pointed to his throat.

"Oh? About time you made your move. I was beginning to get a little impatient waiting for you. So whom do I have the pleasure to thank for this lovely visit? The Mizukage again?"

"We are not allied with the Kiri-nin. Now give up now peacefully and you will not be killed. We only want to send a message to your organization." The kunoichi said as she tightened her grip around his neck.

"A message? Could it be a declaration of war? And I thought the rebels were smarter than this."

"We are not a part of the Umihebiza rebellion either, we are acting on our own behalf."

"I see… but regardless who you are, you will not leave this compound alive. Don't you understand that I have an entire army with _guns_ at their disposal? Not much a shinobi of your caliber can do about that."

"I see you underestimated us." Several gunshots were heard in the background causing the man to wear a large grin on his face. Suddenly a flash of light burnt through the sky as a loud explosion was heard in another part of the compound.

"What do you think is happening, kunoichi-san?"

"Your men are dying."

"Huh? Are you that ignorant?"

"Look." she pointed in the direction of the explosion. As he followed her line of sight, he saw several _hundred _shinobi's bouncing around, dodging several bullets and easily taking care of the soldiers.

"Nani? How is it even possible to sneak that many shinobi in here?!"

"I told you that you underestimated us, Musibi-san."

"So you actually knew my name, huh? Then at least you will not die with any regret then." He bent forward and quickly slung her to the ground. He quickly tried to stomp down on her face but she rolled out of the way and swept her leg under his own. He leaped over her leg and slung several kunai at her. She deflected each one with her own kunai as she forced her way back to her feet.

She quickly dashed backwards, creating some distance in-between them as she slung two kunai at his feet. He leaped into the air to dodge the attack, but in the blink of an eye she was in his face with two kunai in her hand, landing both of them in each of his shoulders, and in the same motion she dropped kicked him back to the ground.

"We wish not to kill you, Musibi-san, so please do not make this any harder than it is." He grinned as he ripped out each kunai one by one and flung them to the ground.

"You are a lot stronger than what I gave you credit for, kunoichi-san, but it is too bad that you do not understand anything! Do you understand the consequences are for attacking a member of the Akisame!"

"Yes, I do, Musibi-san, so please surrender now before you force me to kill you."

"Like hell I will! If you don't kill me, then they will!"

Musibi began to run through several hand signs as his body began to perspire more than normal. Suddenly he made a large thrust of his body in the direction of the kunoichi, causing all the sweat on his body to form a large wave of water. The kunoichi's emerald orbs began to glow as she slung her fist at the wave, causing it to disperse and evaporate instantly with a massive amount of heat.

The cloud of mist provided a cover for Musibi as he slung a punch in the kunoichi's direction but she grabbed his fist with her free hand and twisted his wrist, causing several bones to snap. She then pulled on his injured wrist and slammed her knee into his abdomen, and in the same motion slammed her other knee into his forehead before slamming her fist into the back of his head, causing him to crash into the ground in a world of pain.

"Do you still wish to fight me?"

"You're damn right I do!" With his uninjured hand, he slammed it into the ground and yelled "Tsuchikabe Kangoku no Jutsu!" The jutsu created a large wall of mud to surround and enclose the kunoichi, cutting off all air as well. "Now to finish you off before going to get help…"

"Rasengan!" Before Musibi could finish going through a new set of hand seals, the wall of mud he had just created was shattered to pieces as not only was the blonde kunoichi was standing there but also a blond shinobi as well.

"When did you…?"

"That's a secret…" The shinobi said as he instantly appeared in front of Musibi and landed a hook to his jaw, shattering it, while the kunoichi leaped into the air and landed a heel to his already broken jaw, knocking him unconscious as his body fell like a lifeless rag-doll before colliding awkwardly with the ground, probably breaking even more bones in his body.

"Why did you hold back?"

"I didn't want to kill him."

"Well, could've almost killed him then if that what you were worrying about."

"You mean just like we just did?" The shinobi glanced at Musibi's battered body and chuckled a little.

"Yeah, like that…"

"I knew you two would overdo it… so troublesome…" The third shinobi walked up to them with several scrolls in his hand.

"What do you mean 'overdo it'? We both were trying our hardest to hold back on these guys… This was kind of disappointing, I was thinking these guys would be a lot stronger and yet we ran into the runts of the litter." The blond said as he picked up the unconscious Musibi and slung him over his shoulders.

"Bakemono…"

"Hey! That's mean…" He only sighed as he muttered troublesome again before disappearing. The blond glanced at the kunoichi and winked. "Let's light this place up."

The kunoichi smiled as she nodded before going through a small sequence of hand seals. A large round of explosions began to go off one after the other. The two shinobi quickly exited the compound right before the last explosion was set off, engulfing the entire compound and leaving nothing in its wake but rubble and debris.

**II**

"They're done, kaa-sama." A clone of the blond shinobi said as he opened his eyes.

"Did they kill their target?"

"Almost…"

"Those baka… Arigatou." The clone nodded as it disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

The rest of the party was having dinner at a family restaurant on one of the neighboring islands.

"So the gaki succeeded, eh? They sure have changed a lot in the last two years." Jiraiya said as he took another sip of his sake.

"Yeah, yeah… By the way, where is that damn kitsune? I haven't seen her in a while."

"I think she's still working on a way to separate the neko from Yugito-chan with Aoi-chan."

"I know I asked you this before, Kushina, but are you sure about this? We already have to worry about the Akatsuki, and adding the Akisame to our enemy list is a bit rough." Tsunade said asked as she lean in closer to her.

"I understand, Tsunade-nee-san, but I have to do this. We can't all be senin like that hentai over there."

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Yeah, I get that, but why are you declaring war to do this? You could settle down anywhere in a peaceful manner."

"I guess I really miss my homeland so much that I want to recreate it. Plus, I think settling down peacefully would just be too boring. Why not liberate a country from tyrants and recreate something greater."

"And you do know that if we succeed than we will be creating an enemy out of the Land of Water as well?"

"What do you mean '_if _we succeed'?"

"I see where Naruto gets it from now."

"Yup… the only thing he got from his father was his good looks." She said with a toothy grin on her face.

**III**

**Two years had passed since the run in with Konoha and everything had seemed to calm down a little until kaa-sama had decided to heat things up a little. I know I said that I was going to become the kage of another village that was going to be stronger than Konohagakure but when I said that I meant that I would start one from scratch. I never imagined that we would actually be declaring war on an already establish country. Yeah, I know that there were being controlled by an outside **_**evil**_** organization that could have been behind what happened to the land of the whirlpool back in the day, but this was a little extreme for me too. Yugito-chan seemed ok with it, though. I think she was even looking forward to this.**

"Is everything ok, Naruto-kun?" I snapped out of my thought process long enough to realize that I was staring at her. We had just returned to our hotel room and I was seating in one of the chairs while Yugito-chan was lying in bed and Shikamaru was taking a bath. I didn't know how long the others were going to be out but I was enjoying the peace and quiet I was getting with them being absent.

"Yeah… I'm fine." She rose up and began to crawl over to me until she crawled up into my lap.

"You're lying, aren't you?"

"Uh… Not really…" I tried to turn my head but she gently grabbed my chin and pulled it toward her.

"I know when you're lying to me, Naruto-kun…" She said right before kissing me. Suddenly the door swung open causing both of us to jump up.

"Aww… did I interrupt something?" Yugito glared up at Regina, causing her to giggle.

"Where's kaa-sama?"

"Still out drinking with the others probably... I told you I don't keep up with what that old hag does."

"I see… how things going on your front?" I asked as Yugito-chan began to look even more annoyed.

"That damn neko is going to be even tougher to get out than I original thought. Aoi-chan is still searching through all of the scrolls trying to find anything, if there is anything, to aid us in our research."

"I don't really care if I form a binding contract with the Nibi. There is no need for all of the trouble."

"Don't worry about us, Yugito-chan, we are doing this because we want too. It will make things twice as easy for you without the burden of having one of us inside of your body twenty-four/seven, and it makes you less of a target to the Akatsuki when they do decide to attack."

"Yes, but aren't you still tied down to Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, but not like before, now I have more freedom and if they do managed to beat my kit, then mother kitsune jumps in to save her precious kit."

"Since when have I been so precious to _you_?"

"Hey… I was your temporary mother until that power-tripping kunoichi appeared out of nowhere."

"Heh…" I chuckled a little as Yugito-chan tightened her grip around my shoulders, letting me know that she wanted us to be alone.

"Have you been able to communicate any with the Nibi, Yugito? I'm sure he knows a way to help us in this situation." Regina asked as she sat down on the bed and stretched out as if it were her own room.

"I still only get grunts when I tried the techniques you told me of."

"Still as pompous as ever, that damn neko."

"If you don't mind me asking this, but what do you plan on doing in here?" Yugito-chan asked Regina-san.

"Take a nap of course, I have been working hard the past couple of hours."

"Shouldn't a _bijuu_ have more endurance than this?" Yugito-chan asked as it was beginning to become obvious that she wanted her out.

"In this form, I am sort of limited." Yugito-chan scoffed as she stood up and grabbed my hand and pulled me as we walked right out of the room.

"Is everything ok, Yugito-chan?"

"Hai!"

"Then why are you yelling?"

"I'm not!"

"Listen to yourself…" She stopped as soon as we were outside and turned around.

"I just wanted to be alone with you Naruto-kun, is that too much for me to ask?" I stared up at the soothing clouds of the night sky as the few stars that were visible continued to sparkle brightly. I looked back down at her and smiled as I leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.

"No… it's not. Want to have a date?"

"Date?"

"Yeah, we haven't had one in a long time since we've been going through hell to get ready for our project to start."

"Sure… but not like this, ok?"

"Huh?"

"I want to go back to the hotel and dress in something… _nicer…_" she said as she blushed a little. "And you too."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" She glared at me the same way kaa-sama and obaa-chan did, which always sent chills up, down, and all around my spine. At that time, I really thought I should have stopped letting her hang out with those two in her free time or I could be in for a world of pain in the future.

"Fine… no need to yell, Yugito-chan." I said with my patented smile on my face causing her to smile as well.

We both took our time making it back to our hotel room trying to set the mood right. Even though we had been on dates before, this would technically be the first real one since all of the others were special occurrences where we just happened to be alone during that time. Not to mention the fact that this would be the first one where we were older and more mature.

When I stepped into the room, I noticed that Regina-san was fast asleep and Shikamaru had still to return from the bathhouse. I opened my bag and began to search though into until I found my all dark blue long sleeve t-shirt and black pair of pants. As I looked in the mirror I couldn't help but notice how long my hair was. It now flowed down past my ears in all its spiky glory. I suddenly remember the pictures of the Yondaime, my late father, and couldn't believe how much I looked like him.

"I figured Yugito-chan would force you out on a date." Regina-san as it seemed that she was only faking sleep earlier.

"Go back to sleep…."

"So cold, kit…" Before I knew it, she was behind me, giving me an embrace as I felt her breath down my neck tickling me a little.

"What are you doing?"

"Just indulging myself."

"On what?"

"Don't worry about it… Treat her good, ok, kit?"

"You know me almost more than I know myself."

"Hai… I do…" I turned around to grab my orange wrist band that I always wore with my normal clothes and noticed that Regina-san was gone.

"What the hell was that all about?"

I slid the band on and I heard a soft knock at the door, making me wonder who it was. As I opened it, I literally had my breath taken away. It was Yugito-chan in an all jade kimono with white pedals dancing all around it, bringing her the enchanting beauty of her emerald orbs. Her golden locks flowed past her shoulders instead of the usual ponytail she would normally wear in her kunoichi and casual attire.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-kun?"

"Y-Y-Yeah… just a bit taken back by your beauty." She titled her head to the side trying to hide her blush which I saw as clear as day.

"Arigatou…" I smiled even harder as I gently grabbed her hand and pulled her along side me.

"Shall we go?"

As if this little date was meant to be, all of the clouds that were out earlier had dispersed, giving us a clear image of the beautiful night sky as all the stars began to shine down upon us. The cool gentle breeze made me feel more than revitalized from our earlier mission.

"So what do you want to do, Yugito-chan?"

"It doesn't matter… I just wanted to be alone with you." She said as she latched onto my right arm and smiled up at me. I was still slow in realizing my own height growth, since we had first met she was a little taller than me and just two years ago we were the same height but now I almost towered over her.

It the background, I could hear the soft soothing sounds of the ocean waves that literally felt like they were calling me.

"Let's head over to the beach then, ok?" She nodded her head as we began to walk. I remembered when there was a time that I could only dream of being with a beautiful woman on a night like this, even though almost all of my dreams had Sakura-chan in them. That was the past and now is now and I could never be any happier. I think, no, I knew that Yugito-chan was a better match for me than Sakura-chan would ever be.

As we walked up to the beach, Yugito-chan pulled off her sandals and began to play in the cool waves as her smile outshined the heavenly bodies that kept watch over us that night. I always thought Yugito-chan was beautiful but that night she was radiant, her lightly tanned skin literally glowed.

"You changed." She stopped and looked over at me.

"Did you say something?"

"You changed."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all, I love this new you. You smile more, you talk more, and you are happier, which makes me happy. This new you gives me confidence to keep going even when even _I_ have a problem keeping my nindo." She look completely flabbergasted as she just stared at me for a second until she tackled me to the dirt and began to kiss me. This was yet another one of the changes that I enjoyed as well.

**IV**

The next day was a very hot one in the barren deserts of the Land of Wind, the general location of the Sunagakure no Sato. In this reason, as well as the tense vibe that only meant bad things for someone.

Several Suna-nin were dashing through the blazing heat as they dodged several kunai and other types of sharp projectiles that were sent their way. One of the nin stopped his pace and ran through several hand seals before unleashing a small blast of wind, pushing all of the weapons back but that wasn't enough to stop their pursuers.

"We have to make it back to Suna and inform the Kazekage of this before it is too late."

"I know…. You three… continue on, Miko and I will keep them off your backs."

"Nani? That's suicide for both of you. The're already too many of them back there."

"Just do as I say! This is for the village to be able to survive!" The shinobi looked over at the kunoichi named Miko as she nodded her head, letting him know that she was with him all the way. He grabbed her hand and gripped it tightly as he stared deeply into her eyes. He turned back around and glared at the other three. "What the hell are you baka waiting for!"

With a slight wave of his hand he produced enough wind to push them away from him. Miko pulled out a kunai that was pulsating with chakra as the wind around them began to form around it, making a sword similar to Naruto's Kazekatana jutsu, but her jutsu had a little twist that made it even deadlier.

As the enemy approached even closer, she made one blind swipe in their general direction, even though they were several yards out. The wind kunai extended in length, nearly taking out the first wave of shinobi, catching a lot of them off guard. She pulled back the kunai closer to her again as the wind dispersed.

Even though that attack was strong enough to shake up some of the shinobi, it wasn't enough to keep them at bay, since a lot these shinobi were seasoned vets who had been trained to kill since they could walk. In a sense, the perfect shinobi, and a lot of them carried the same emblem of the new Konohagakure.

"Good job, Miko!" The shinobi yelled as she sent another wave of wind towards their enemy. But even that was not enough as they found themselves completely surrounded. It seemed that Konoha was focusing more on the sheer number of their forces to overcome Suna, but something just didn't feel right to the Suna shinobi as he looked over at his daughter. Both him and his daughter were at the rank of chuunin, so why would they be able to take out several of these nin even if they were surrounded now?

Suddenly the amount of shinobi began to disappear in wavy lines as he realized that this was all an genjutsu. As his eyes blinked several times, he realized that he wasn't in the desert like he thought but actually in Sunagakure. The genjutsu had caused him to lead the Konoha-nin right through the genjutsu barrier they created to keep their village hidden. But that wasn't the only problem he was having as he realized this. No, there was a much bigger problem now as he noticed the amount of blood that flowed through the streets of Suna. He glanced around for his daughter as he found her literally fighting for her life as more shinobi seemed to appear and attack her.

He pushed himself to his feet and finally noticed the gapping hole that was in his chest but it was already too late to do anything about it. Suddenly the genjutsu hold on his mind finally dispersed as he began to remember what exactly happened to him.

He and his daughter were the only surviving members of the recon team sent to scout the land for any attackers. He had already been killed by their ambush and they used a powerful genjutsu to keep him alive just long enough for him to lead them back.

As he reached out toward his daughter, he watched her take several kunai to her shoulder, his eyes began to cloud over as the visible light began to dim until there wasn't anything there but darkness.

Miko was also near death as well as she watched her father finally die. Even though she was saddened by this, she was finally able to be at ease knowing that his suffering had finally ended. From behind her, she heard someone yell "Kazekage-sama!" As she turned around to see the hateful eyes of Gaara as he looked over the dead bodies of his people.

He covered his eyes as several Konoha shinobi leaped toward him but were completely mutilated by waves of sand, creating a crimson coating over the sand as it began to ravish the other Konoha shinobi that were in the area. Gaara pulled back his hands from his face, revealing the blood-lust eyes of a being possessed by the bijuu that was sealed within him. This was the first time she had seen her Kazekage like this but what she felt deep within her wasn't fear, but excitement. It was almost as if something within her wanted to get out as well.

"Finally the beast shows himself."

"Make this quick, ok?"

"Don't worry, I will finish this quickly, creating the most beautiful masterpiece I've ever created."

Miko turned around and watched as two men in dark cloaks with scarlet clouds scatter all over them appeared in the midst of the chaos.

"Why are _you _here?"

"Is that a way to talk to your honored guests? No wonder this village has fell off so much." The shinobi stuck his hand in a pouch he was carrying for a few seconds before pulling out and slamming something down at the ground. Miko covered her eyes thinking it would be something like a flash bomb, but what she saw shocked her even more. On the ground were thousands of tiny spiders dashing towards Gaara.

Gaara's violent sand began rip away at the spiders but as each one died a large explosion was set, creating a chain to the point that even Gaara was sent flying several yards until he was forced to collide with the ground. The shinobi took this opportunity to get even closer, this time he slung several kunai that looked just like the spiders in a way. Gaara's sand kicked in the last minute and swatted them away but a similar thing happened as before as another explosion was set off, this time even larger than before.

Even though Gaara's perfect defense was keeping him from taking any damage, that still didn't overturn the fact that these attacks were effective in almost ever way. Gaara's mentality was already a bit scattered to begin with and with the added affects of his village being slaughtered right after he had finally learned to trust others allowed the Shukaku to regain a portion of the control he once had over Gaara. Now both him and Shukaku were arguing amongst themselves thanks to the matters at hand, causing a pause in Gaara's sand barrier as more bombs were unleashed, and this time unprotected. The explosion was immense, as Gaara felt the most amount of pain his body had even felt since his fight with Yugito. The attack nearly killed him on the spot if it wasn't for his sheer will to survive that his ticket in this fight was no longer valid.

"See… I told you I would finish quickly."

"**DON'T TOUCH HIM!**" A voice from behind them shouted as a large wave of chakra literally ripped the ground apart, sending everyone and everything in the vicinity flying. Both the Akatsuki nin were forced to retreat as they too were caught off by this attack.

In the center of it all was a battered Miko as almost all of her clothes were shredded. Her eyes were a piercing silver as her pupil were slits. Her hair was snow white and twice as long. Her breathing was erratic as she finally collapsed to the ground from sheer exhaustion.

Translation:


	26. 7th Shippuu: A Beginning? Or an End?

**Author's Note: I'm back with good news, for those care, Nii Yugito has finally been added to the char list! And the latest chapter for Vanished Without a Trace will be out pretty soon as well. Sorry for the late update and I hope you enjoy this latest update. Ja ne!**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**7th Shippuu: A Beginning? Or an End?

The dust and debris from the battle lay thick in the atmosphere of Suna. Many shinobi were scrambling around, trying to save as many civilians as possible before more buildings collapsed. This was the last thing the village needed with the Konoha shinobi still attacking, and with their tower of support missing – the Kazekage – things looked more than just bleak. The cries for their leader began to siren as more and more blood was shed – from both shinobi and civilian alike. In the past, if you would have mentioned a threat of an attack from Konohagakure on Sunagakure, most people would have merely laughed off the notice, but now that unbelievable idea was a cruel reality. The once great sand village had fallen victim to their former ally, who was only using a small portion of their forces.

Deep below the Suna surface, in an underground bunker, laid the last hope for the village to survive unconscious along with his savior suffering from a similar predicament as well. The air stunk of dusk and old damp paper, showing just how much it had been used over the years, which was the absolute minimum. Not many – even some among the elders – knew of this place. The lighting was minute at best, thanks to a few candles that were placed all over the room. The constant rumbles from the battle above cause the sand-built walls to crack and spew more and more dirt everywhere.

"Is he alright?" Kankuro asked, as fear for his little brother's death was evident in his eyes.

"Yeah, he's just sleeping right now… We have to figure out a way to fight back those leaf bastards before things become unsalvageable." Temari said as she began to audibly grind her teeth in anguish.

"What about her?" Kankuro pointed over to Miko, who was lying right beside Gaara with a very pained expression on her face.

"I've never seen her before today. I was hoping you knew something about her."

"She has been living with her father outside of the village as spies since she was born." Both Temari and Kankuro abruptly turned around to see their little brother – their Kazekage – rise up as he grabbed his head with his left hand, obviously suffering from a migraine.

"Lie back down, Gaara, you are still injured."

"What's the situation outside?"

"Let us deal with that, you need to focus on your recovery first." Gaara narrowed his eyes and sent them a glare that was similar to the one he wore everyday in the past, when he was more of a lunatic that was ready to kill anyone and anything at any given moment.

"We might end up losing the village after this." Kankuro said as he held his head down in shame.

"Send out the evacuation order for the civilians." Gaara said as he glanced over at Miko. Kankuro nodded as he shushined off.

"Is she a jinchuuriki too?" Gaara sighed as he nodded his head before turning back to his elder sister. He slowly rose up from the mat and was beginning to wobble before Temari caught him. "How come this is the first time I've heard anything about this? Who also knew about this?"

"Our late father and the elders. She was originally a last option plan to kill me right after the first attack on Konoha if I was deemed too dangerous to control, but they never expected Konoha to have not one but two powerful jinchuuriki of their own as well…" Gaara's usual emotionless mask showed evidence of regret and pain as he remembered his loss to the blond kunoichi who had also stolen his heart.

"So you are saying she is even stronger than you?"

"That fact is unknown to me. I just know that the elders felt that she was, and that is the only thing I have to go off of."

"If she really is that strong, then why don't we use her now? I'm sure she could help turn the battle to our favor instantly if she were –" Gaara began to shake his head.

"Her psyche is even more fragile than mine. When I first found out about her when I became the Kazekage, my first thought was to have her killed instantly."

"But?"

"That would have made me the very same thing our father was. So I decided to set up a private meeting with her and her father. This was when I discovered that the bijuu that was sealed within her was strong enough to take control of her at any time, similar to how I used to be. The conversations we had felt like I was talking to two people at the same time. There were times were they would obviously argue with one another about petite things. But unlike like my former situation, it seemed the bijuu within her enjoyed her company and wasn't a threat to her or anyone for that matter, it felt almost like she thought of Miko as more of her own child instead of host."

"Her?"

"She introducer herself in a female like manner. One of elegance and respect, which lead me to believe she was one. Continuing on, I set up several meetings with her as I tried to prepare her to return to the village as a shinobi. Tomorrow would have been her first day in this village." Temari was a bit taken back by her brother's uncharacterised kindness. It was true that he had changed since that fight with Konoha, but she never imagined that it was to this degree.

"So, what's the plan then?"

"Sunagakure is now a lost cause…" He glared up at the ceiling as he tried to fight back his obvious rage as his fist began to tremble. "We will evacuate as many people as possible before any more people are killed – no murdered."

**II**

After we had successfully taken down the leader of this islands, the people quickly became friendlier as it was more than easy to tell that the fear of death from the tyrant was no longer an issue. A few knew who was the cause of the great sense of relief but did not speak up about it since they knew that it would only lead to more trouble for the island. They just gave us a couple free things like meals and such.

Kaa-sama and the others interrogated Musibi until he was about ready to off his own self. It seemed that the Akisame organization used to be a part of Kirigakure and consisted of some of the stronger shinobi that the village had. Tired of the way things were being run, they decided to go rogue and start their own country and make a pure profit for themselves. Unfortunately, that was about all the information they could get out of him – it seemed that he was one of the lower tier members, who were kept in the dark about most of the important things. The only vital bit of information they were able to obtain was the fact that the previous two Mizukage candidates were also a part of this as well, along with the reassuring knowledge that this island would be considered a lost cause since we might have placed some sort of fear in their hearts. Not much, but enough to cause them to go on the defensive, instead opening up and attacking.

Me, personally – I felt it was better for me to enjoy myself as much as possible since I had been training non-stop for the past couple of years, and I was beginning to enjoy the rejuvenating breeze of the ocean that always managed to place a large smile on my face. I guess it was mainly because this was Kaa-sama's blood that flowed through me that brought out the sea loving side of me that I never knew existed. I found myself bathing in the warmth of the sun at the beach almost everyday.

"Someone seems to be enjoying themselves?" I opened my eyes and glanced in the direction of the voice to see Regina-san in a _very _revealing crimson spaghetti bikini allowing her very alluring and seductive body to shine for all its worth. I felt my face heat up immensely as I glanced to the other side, trying to regain my composure, and shake off the _wild_ thoughts that briefly flashed through my mind. I definitely had been hanging around that ero-sennin too long – reading his book didn't help much either.

"Ecchi kit. You're not supposed to think of such things with me involved. What would neko-chan say or do if she knew what you were thinking – not that I mind though." She said in a very seductive and mischievous voice.

"…Urusai na." She only giggled as she sat down beside me. As I glanced around I couldn't help but to notice the amount of attention she was garnering from almost all of the men on the beach. Couldn't say I could blame them though – hell she even got to me, _temporarily. _

"I'm sure you know about Sunagakure already?"

"Of course…"

"What is that bitch planning on doing about that?"

"…_Kaa-sama-"_ I emphasized the name to show that I wasn't going to fall in that trap "-isn't planning anything. I think she figured that bastard would make that move first. She wants us to continue on as planned."

"When do we leave for the next island?"

"Tonight at midnight. They already discovered the location of the next base, and apparently this will be the time when we openly declare war on the Akisame."

"Sounds like fun. I might actually get to let loose for once. I can't let my little kit get to have all of the fun."

"You would just end up killing _everybody_."

"And is that a problem?"

"Not really, unless you really want to fight Kaa-sama."

"She deserves to get knocked down off her pedestal. It would do her some good if I decided to ground her off her cloud nine attitude."

"So much animosity… or is it _jealousy?_" I sent her one of her own mischievous grins causing her to scoff out loud.

"You've been around me too long, kit."

"Your fault, not mine."

"Heh… So where is your _wife_ – after what you two almost did if I haven't interrupted you last night you might as well call her that." I blushed a little bit causing her to giggle. She could always easily switch the tables back on me. "You still have a long way to go before you can compete with me."

"Whatever… she's training with Aoi-san."

"That's a shock!"

"Nani?"

"Surprise she isn't clinging to your arm like the love-sick koneko that she is. Not to mention I thought she would only train with you."

"True… but we both still need our space or we won't be able to tolerate each other as much – thus, the reason why we don't fight as much as other couples. Plus, if needed, we can be where the other is in no time thanks to an alternate version of the Hiraishin I've been working on."

"Ugh…"

"Nani?"

"Just what I need… another Yellow Flash to deal with in the future."

"Yellow Flash, eh? People have already been calling me the Kaze no Kitsune thanks that one jutsu I used back in Konoha during the Suna/Oto attack."

"It suits you better, I think. So how is that jutsu coming anyway?"

"Horrible! I suck at blood seals and the only reason why the one Yugito-chan and me created works is because she is better at them than me."

"It is cute, though, that little tattoo on your hand that you two share now."

"Jealous of that too, huh?"

"Why would I need to be when _we _share something _much_ deeper, hmm?" I sighed out loud as I laid back against my towel, deciding that this conversation was beginning to get tiresome.

"So, did you enjoy your date last night with her?"

"Any reason why you want to know?"

"Does it hurt to answer a simple question, kit?"

"It was fun, a very nice change of pace."

"So how far have you two _gone?_ Did you continue where you left off before I interrupted?" I nearly chocked on my spit as I jumped up with my face an obvious crimson red.

"Not that far, huh? But I know you've thought about it _several_ times."

"What is your point now?"

"Nothing, I just enjoy teasing you – that's all. Ne, how about we do something tonight." I gave her a strange glance, as my face grew even redder.

"Not that, baka… talking about just a little date or something."

"Uh… why?"

"It has been awhile since I spent any alone time with my little kit – since the day we became separated and it gets kind of lonely."

"What's your motive here?"

"Don't worry, I have no motive whatsoever in doing this."

"_Sure_…" I said sarcastically.

"Fine then, don't believe me, but I'm still waiting for your answer, though."

"Just for tonight… but I know Yugito-chan is not going to be to happy about this."

"Don't worry about that annoying neko, I'll take care of that for you. Now that I think about it, she is becoming more and more like that bitch."

"I noticed that too…"

"Good luck with that!" With that said shushined off, causing sand to fly in my face. I muttered a few choice words under my breath before getting up and heading back to the hotel room. I still didn't feel quite well with this whole date thing but in a strange way I also missed the alone time I had with Regina-san – not in that way of course, she was more like a second mother to me and was basically one of the main reasons why I made it as far as I did. Not to mention the huge jump I made from being the dobe of the Konoha Nine to stronger than all of them.

The cool breeze from the ocean caused me to snap out of my trance long enough to notice that Regina-san wasn't the only one gaining some attention. A lot of the ladies on the beach were either waving or blushing as my eye met theirs. A fact that wouldn't have been if my life had stayed the way it were. It was obvious that this caused my confidence to skyrocket even more as my ego continued to inflate. Then, the thought of Yugito-chan going on a massacre caused the warm blood in my veins to grow cold as ice as I scurried off. I was definitely beginning to have second thoughts about this date. An angry Yugito-chan was not something I wanted to deal with at all.

When I made it back to the hotel, I instantly jumped into the shower washing away the sticky sweat from the ocean wind and the sand that had stuck on my skin. If I thought the ocean was relaxing, the showers after going in or training felt like heaven.

After throwing on an all black turtle neck and dark blue slacks, I quickly went on the hunt for Regina-san – she was always hard to find when you needed her but always showed up when you least wanted her to. Because the ominous feelings I was having, I wanted to cancel our plans. Surprisingly enough, she was in her own room – she had complained over and over about having her own room until Kaa-sama agreed to it under the only circumstances that she paid for it herself – lying on her bed as I opened the door.

"What's up kit?" I paused for a second – still a little surprised about her being where she should be for once. That was when I also caught a good glimpse of what she was wearing as well, an all blue qipao with gold kitsune dancing along the trims of the dress. Her vibrant silver hair was tied in two buns. "Breathtaking, aren't I?"

"Whatever…" Hard to admit outright, but she was indeed. More than I originally thought she was.

"Ready?"

"About that…" She quickly and elegantly rose up and grabbed my arm and smiled up at me with her blinding silver orbs, causing my mind to temporally to go blank.

"Don't tell me you are still worrying about your _Yugito-chan_?"

"Well, of course…" I said as I fought to regain my composure.

"I talked to her already… even though she was against it at first, she decided that she would trust me since your Kaa-sama also wanted her to go somewhere with her."

"Where?"

"I don't know… that bi—I mean, woman, wouldn't tell me."

"What made you stop?"

"I thought I should be a little nicer than usual since this _is_ my first ever _date_."

"First date?!" She punched me in the shoulder as she teasingly glared up at me.

"There is no need to be that surprised of that fact."

"I just thought-" she placed a finger over my lips, stopping me from talking as she began to grin.

"Let's just go, ok?" I just nodded my head as she pulled me out of the room.

**III**

During the same time, Yugito and Kushina were deep in the middle of the ocean on a tourist boat. The atmosphere between them was tense as neither of them was speaking a word to the other. Over the years since they met, they never really had any real alone time between themselves. Naruto was always there or close enough to mediate for them.

"Um…?" Yugito was the first to speak, breaking the silence between them that felt like ages. "Was there any particular reason why you invited me out here, okaa-sama?" Kushina smiled for a second as she nodded her head.

"Things are getting pretty serious between you and Naru-chan, aren't they?" Yugito slightly blushed as she nodded her head. A sight that only few were lucky to see the former emotionless kunoichi who back in the day was more like a robot. Now she had every bit of a personality that any normal kunoichi would have, and that was all thanks to Naruto who was the first to help her open up. "I just felt that it was time we had our heart to heart talk. We never really talk by ourselves and Tsunade-nee felt that this was about time, which I agree in all."

"Why do you believe so? Did something happen to worry you?"

"No… and yes, but nothing too serious that you should have to worry about. This may sound like a stupid question but how much do you love Naru-chan?" Yugito gave Kushina a very confused look before deciding to answer.

"…More than everything in this world and the next… before him, I didn't have any emotions and couldn't feel anything but now I feel everything. The good and the bad things. I live for him and if he wasn't there, then my life would be pointless." Kushina tried to hide the smile that was pushing for an escape, but it was obvious to Yugito that she had most likely said the right thing.

"It kind of reminds me of my younger days with Naru-chan's Tou-san. When I think about it, those two have so many things in common that it is scary – a little _too_ scary." The last part caught Yugito a little bit off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"It may be hard to believe, but I was nowhere near as strong as I am now – not saying I wasn't still a handful to deal with. I nearly knocked Minato out when I first met him because I thought he was too full of himself." She laughed outloud at the memory. "But even I wasn't strong enough to prevent what happened to us in the past. In the end, he ended up giving his life for us – Naru-chan and me – with me being too powerless to do anything about it. I even had to abandon him for fourteen years… That was the hardest thing I had to do in my entire life and the one thing if I had the chance to redo that I would change completely. "

A short pause caused an awkward silence between them as Yugito looked over at Kushina with eyes of pain as she tried to imagine just how hard it was for her. Even though she was finally able to enjoy the world of emotions, the key emotion of motherhood was among the many that she had no clue about.

"Are you ok?" Yugito asked once again breaking the silence.

"Yes… Naruto has a similar shadow following his soul that his Tou-san had. He has gained a name for himself in a similar way and he has enemies all over the place. Even though it may be honorable for a shinobi to die for others, I refused to have him go through the same thing. That is where you come in."

"Nani?"

"I may not be able to be there by his side the entire time, but you can. You are already closer to him than I can ever be. Have you two talked about marriage yet?"

"Marriage?!" Yugito's face shifted to a bright red as she glanced over to the ocean to hide it as best as she possibly could.

"When I think about it, you two are perfect for each other in every way, and I already look at you as a daughter."

"I-I-I don't think this is a conversation we should be having without Naruto-kun…" Yugito said still very embarrassed about the subject at hand while Kushina seemed ecstatic. A very uncharacteristic trait for her to portray that made Yugito feel even more uncomfortable.

"I have already spoken to Naru-chan about this in the past before we came to this island. I told him that I would have the final say in the matter if I approved of you and I have always been watching you and your relationship with him."

"Did he say he wanted to m-m-arry me?"

"He said he would when the time was deemed right."

"Nani?!" If Yugito was embarrassed before, well now she was on the verge of fainting. The honest truth about the situation was the fact that she had considered the fact several times now and then some. She had meant what she said about Naruto being her world and she wanted to make sure that he was hers and hers only; all the attention he had been getting around the island with the female population was only increasing this feeling, but she didn't want to be the one to bring it up due to fear of rejection. Even though she knew Naruto loved her deeply, there was always that part of her, very _very_ deep in the back of her mind, that thought he would move on and leave her like everyone else that was dear in her past did. But hearing that he too had thought about it and had decided on it already had further quieted the negative voices in her head.

"Don't tell me you don't want that..."

"No! I mean… that's not what I mean… I would love to; it's just… I didn't think he would too." This only caused a very large grin to form on Kushina's face.

"He said those exact same words. You two really do think alike."

"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?" Kushina continued to smile as she glanced past Yugito toward the beach as if she was looking at something.

"Things have been tough thus far but things after tomorrow will shift to an even tougher degree. Naru-chan and I have decided that we will make our new village official after the next mission."

"Nani? Why so soon?"

"We have already gained enough support from the islanders who know who we are and the allies I have formed over the years of my training will be coming as well. I think both of you are ready to take things to a next level. I'm sure you two combined could be beat me or that damned kitsune in a serious battle – in the past a hundred of you two wouldn't even be close to achieving that."

"I understand that but-"

"Also my time is coming up soon."

"What do you mean?" Kushina's mask became somewhat sorrowful as she kept the same smile, this time looking Yugito straight in her eyes. She gently grabbed Yugito hands and pulled her into a firm embrace.

"It's the beginning of a new era Yu-chan, and you two will be leading that wind of change." With that said, Kushina released Yugito from her tight hug as the boat began to float toward the dock. "You and Naru-chan will be in charge of the attack on Aranami. We will rendezvous with the rest of our forces tomorrow morning when we arrive."

Before Yugito could say anything, Kushina was already on the dock walking away. Yugito couldn't believe what had just transpired there. She didn't have the slightest clue what to think of the new turn of events.

She glanced down at the tattoo on her left hand and instantly thought of consulting Naruto about this. Plus, she was getting a horrible feeling in her gut about leaving him alone with that kitsune for too long.

She placed her left thumb in her mouth and gently bit down hard enough to draw blood and went through several hand seals before swiping the blood over the tattoo. Suddenly everything around her seemed to be moving in a blur. When she snapped out of her trance, she was standing in the middle of a park bench, right in front of Naruto, who had the strangest look on his face.

"Where's the Kyuubi?"

"Uh… I don't know…" Naruto was acting a little too weird for her tastes. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"What happened?"

**IV**

Surprisingly enough, the _date _was going quite well and uneventful. Completely the opposite of what I had expected to happen. We walked around the shopping district and bought a couple of things – well, she did. Caught a showing at the local theater which I actually enjoyed, and so did she as well. Then we closed things off with a light dinner at one of those luxury style restaurants. The owner was one of the few who knew who we were, so everything was on the house.

After dinner, we stopped by a bench in the park to take in the scenery. Throughout the date we mostly talked about the past and how much she enjoyed teasing me. For the most part, things felt more like two friends enjoying themselves – the way I wanted them to be. That was until we sat down on _that_ bench.

At first there was silence, we both were just enjoying ourselves as the cool breeze blew against our skin.

"Ne, kit, do you miss the days when it was just the two of us?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You know, the times when it was just me teaching you the things about the world."

"Yeah, I kind of do, things were so much simpler then, but I don't think I would've become this strong if it was just us."

"I don't think so. I actually think you would've been stronger if things would've stay the same. Those two held you back on a lot of things due to fear of breaking you. But I, on the other hand, know your true limits better than you do."

"What are you getting at?" She leaned in and hugged me tightly. I didn't know what to do at that moment – it was so sudden that I froze. Then she reared back with a dark smile on her face and kissed me. Not the type of kiss that was shared between friends or close ones but a very passionate one. I was frozen before but now I was a statue.

"I think me and you should leave all of this behind and return things to the way it used to be." She kissed me again and rose up. "I'm not going to demand an answer from you now since it is a lot to take in, so I will give you some time to think it over." After that, she disappeared with a breeze of wind.

Suddenly I felt the tattoo on my hand tingle as Yugito appeared in front of me.

"Where's the Kyuubi?"

I was still too jumbled up to even come up with a coherent sentence to answer the question she asked me, as my mind was still somewhat numb from the sudden _kiss_.

**V**

At the back of the island was a thick forest that the group used for all their training purposes. Regina-san slowly walked into the dark forest with a smug look on her face as she glanced up at one of the trees.

"Took you long enough." She said as she giggled lightly.

"What is your plan, wench."

"Such harsh word, bitch…"

Suddenly Kushina leaped down from the tree with her chakra pulsating.

"What are you planning to do with my Naru-chan?"

"_Your _Naru-chan? I was his _real _mother when you were long gone doing who knows what. Don't you think someone of your capabilities would have snatched him away a long time ago?"

"I wasn't strong as –"

"Excuses! If there is a will, there is always a way."

"I will not let you take him away from me again!"

"It's not your choice in the matter. Besides, you too were playing dirty. Trying to get poor neko-chan to propose to my kit so he would completely seal me off. You think I wouldn't know about that?"

"So you decided to take him away? Over my dead body! I'll kill you first before anything happens."

"Killing me will also kill _my _precious kit."

"I found a loophole in that contract of yours."

"Oh, really? I guess I have no choice then, since you're so serious about this. But be aware that I will not hold back in this fight."

"Neither will I."

Translations:  
**Koneko**: kitten  
**Aranami**: waging wave


	27. 8th Shippuu: Turbulent Seas of Romance

**uthor's Notes: I am very sorry for the very late update. Things have been very busy thanks to the Holiday season and working retail doesn't help – opening on Black Friday was ridiculous!**

**So Immanence has officially reached the one-year mark lol. To be honest I never imagined that it would make it this far but thanks everyone for your support and even pushing it over 300 reviews. I hope I can continue to keep you guys entertained and I look forward to your reviews.**

**And sorry it's a short chapter.**

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**8th Shippuu: The Turbulent Seas of Romance

The immense amount of pressure the two were giving off was causing the natural instincts for all the wildlife in the forest to kick in. Nearly all the creatures had either left the forest or were completely on the other side, as far as way as possible. Regina's normal human-like façade had finally faded away, revealing her true kitsune traits. The amount of chakra that was pulsating from her body was causing her hair to levitate behind her.

Kushina's outer appearance on the other hand looked calm – almost as if she knew the outcome of their clash would be her claiming victory. But the inside was tossing as she was having trouble just containing her chakra as her body was more than excited for this match. The fight she had been looking forward to since the day she learned that the Kyuubi had weaseled her way into her Naru-chan's heart.

Suddenly everything came to a stop as the two glared at each other with an intense amount of animosity. Kushina was the first to react as she launched several kunai at Regina. Regina easily dodged to the left but failed to noticed the explosive tags that were attached at the end of them until they exploded. Regina swung her arm toward the explosion and released a massive amount of chakra, quickly silencing the flames.

In the instant when Kushina was trying to regroup herself, Regina closed the gap to the point where she was literally in her face as her left fist collided with the right side of Kushina's face, sending her several yards flying – not stopping until her body collided with a tree, breaking it in half.

"**After all the big talk you did for years, the only thing you actually amount to is cheap shinobi parlor tricks.**" Regina said in a very demonic tone as the youkai chakra continued to elevate at an alarming rate. The first two chakra tails finally revealed themselves as she began to stalk toward Kushina.

Said person was in a world of pain, she knew the Kyuubi would be strong but she never imagined to this degree. She decided to shrug it off as she popped her shoulder back in its right position. She quickly pulled out a scroll and unravelled it on the ground.

Regina recognized that scroll immediately and used her god-like speed to prevent her from releasing the huge sword. But in the middle of her dash she felt someone grab on to her leg, causing her to lose her balance as her momentum sent her crashing against the ground, hard. Kushina then leaped out of the ground with Anima already in her hands, as she was the middle of a huge swipe. The Kushina that was lying against the tree dispersed in a cloud of white smoke, causing Regina to curse under her voice as she used her tail to push back Kushina.

Anima and the chakra tail collided with one another – since Kushina was in midair during the time she didn't have much leverage causing her to be pushed back to the ground. Regina took the opportunity to grab her with her second tail and slam her against the ground. As an added effect, the intense heat that the chakra was emitting was beginning to burn Kushina's body.

A loud thunderclap caused Regina to glance up at the sky and then back down at Kushina who was wearing the largest grin she had ever seen the woman wear.

"**When did you…?**" Regina asked as it began to pour down like a monsoon. The cold downpour helped Kushina's skin cool down as she wrestled her way free.

"You didn't think I wouldn't be any better than my son at our family jutsu, did you? I _was_ the one who taught him, you know." Kushina stated as she ran through several seals before yelling, "Suiton: Teppoudama Rendan!" The rain drops around them instantly froze right before they all began to drill against Regina's body, leaving tiny indents where they slammed into her body.

Regina quickly crouched and punched the ground with as much strength as she could, creating a crater it in the wake of her fist. The ground flew up in the air acting like a temporary shield from the rain. The third tail made its appearance as she began to punch and kick all the loose earth towards Kushina.

Kushina went on the defensive, using Anima to slice through all the dirt, causing her to lose sight of Regina just for a second. But a second was all she needed to send a near deadly left foot to the temple of Kushina's head, causing her to collide with the ground with a sickening thud.

Regina reached down and violently picked up Kushina by her neck, to the point where her feet were dangling from the ground. "**This is very disappointing Kushina-**_**hime**_**. You aren't even on kit's level right now.**" Regina's fierce eyes glared into the glazed over orbs of Kushina, who wasn't even struggling to free herself.

Suddenly the wind began to pick up greatly as the rain continued to pound down harder on them with every passing second. This was when Regina noticed the sick and twisted smile that grew on Kushina face as she weakly pointed toward Regina's stomach. As Regina looked down, she noticed a strange seal that was glowing a bright blue hue that just so happened to match the hue of chakra that was pulsating off of Kushina's right index finger. With the same hand she sent an open palm into her stomach, causing Regina to drop to her knees.

"**Wh-what did you do to me?**" Regina asked as she felt most of her chakra slipped away from her.

"That seal was designed to absorb all your chakra into me. I will take your place in the contract and continue to support my son uninterrupted by you. Thanks to the binding contract you formed with Naru-chan, you now have a manageable amount of chakra for a mortal like me to be able to handle without dying, in theory that is."

One of Regina's tails disappeared as she slowly crawled back to her feet. She was definitely not pleased with the current situation. "**So you allowed yourself to get beat up that badly just to get a chance to draw that seal on me, and you honestly think you can defeat me with such a tactless method! Don't get ahead of yourself mortal! There is only one person who is able to contain my chakra properly!**" She yelled as her chakra once again exploded, sending shockwaves of it throughout the forest, almost sending everything including Kushina flying backwards. "**The chakra pool that's shared between me and kit is limitless. If it's my chakra you want, then I will give you all you can handle until you die!**"

Kushina could feel the Kyuubi's chakra flowing into her at a very alarming rate. It was so thick and concentrated that her body began to feel heavier. Not to mention the intense amount of heat she was being subjected to that was literally burning her insides.

On the other hand, Regina was also feeling the side effects of having her chakra being forcefully drained from her but she wasn't going to allow that to deter her from keeping up. She knew that at this point Naruto knew something was going on and would eventually come to investigate. She had to finish this before it was stopped by him or…

All of a sudden a large amount of mud was slung onto both of them and quickly hardened, encasing the two of them in a brick of mud. The large white haired sanin glared at both of them as he slowly walked in between them.

"I understand that you two have a huge grudge between each other, but now is not the time to settle that. We still have a war to get to that you started." He stated.

For a second, Regina thought about trying to attack him too, but in her current condition she would just be hurting herself. Her resentment was only toward that _woman_ right now. Something suddenly popped in her head as she easily freed herself from her mud prison and smiled a twisted smile over at Kushina and Jiraiya as her chakra had finally subsided, returning to her normal human façade.

"You are already as good as dead Kushina… I can already tell that the youkai chakra has already begun to poison your body. It was both a rash and fruitless attempt to kill me without killing _my_ kit in the process. Your answer would have just hurt him more than having just one of us die if you _had_ succeeded." She smiled one more time before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, leaving Jiraiya to rush over to Kushina.

Regina was right on the mark; the strange chakra had caused Kushina skin to become pale, as her body heat was much higher than normal. As he grabbed her, he noticed that she wasn't moving and her eyes were still glazed over. He gently placed his index and middle fingers against her neck, hoping to find a pulse – it was there, but weak, and getting weaker. Jiraiya quickly released her from the trap and scooped her up. He knew he couldn't do much, but he was praying that maybe Tsunade could do something about it before it was too late.

Deep in the subconscious of his brain, hidden behind all the fear of Kushina's possible death in his arms, his hatred for the Kyuubi was raging, almost to a boiling point like a teapot ready to explode from the steam that is trying to free itself. The demon had already claimed his best pupil's life and now there was the chance that his pupil's wife could suffer the same fate. He fought back a tear as he hurried to his destination hoping and praying that Tsunade was still there.

**II**

"What happened?" Yugito-chan demanded from me as she stomped closer. This was the first time in a long time I'd seen her this angry toward me.

"Uh… It's co-co-complicated." I stuttered trying to regain my composure. Man, did she pick the wrong time to show up...

"What's complicated? Where is the Kyuubi?" Her eyes were fierce as if she already knew the answer.

"Why are you so angry?" I asked trying to evade the question long enough to figure out what I was going to do.

"I'm not angry!" She shouted. She was _definitely_ angry.

"Then why are you shouting?"

She narrowed her eyes at me as she walked even closer. This time she was close enough to steal a kiss from me, her eyes never leaving mines even for a second until she glanced down at the last second. She suddenly pushed me hard against the bench. For a second there, I could feel a large amount of killer intent emitting from her body.

"You kissed her, didn't you?"

"Huh?" I was flabbergasted, how in the world could she have known? Even though it was Regina-san who actually kissed _me_.

"Don't try to deny it… her perfume is literally pouring off your body and your li-lips, they have velvet lipstick on them!" She shouted as she pointed at me. I unconsciously touched my lip with my index and middle finger. I glanced back up at her and noticed that her beautiful orbs were becoming a bright red, revealing how much she was holding back her tears. I quickly jumped up and try to grab her.

"W-wait! It's not what you think?" I proclaimed. She pushed me off, this time with much more force than before.

"Then what is it? You were trying to deny it up till now!" Both my mind and heart were on a swivel, I honestly couldn't believe that this was actually happening to me.

"Look, let me explain, ok? It is seriously not what you think."

"The lipstick!" She yelled, as her eyes grew redder from the strain. It seemed that she was determined not to cry in front of me even though I already knew how much pain she was in. "Why are still trying to hide it?!"

"I was just as surprised… what happened was the last thing I expected to happen. She kissed me out of the blue." I started to ramble on.

"Did you push her off then?" she asked.

"What?" I asked, my mind still searching for the right answers to make this better.

"Did you try to stop her, or did you just _let _it happen?"

"I told you I was too stunned to do anything. I always thought she looked at me as her own son."

"So you didn't stop her then?" She asked as if she was coming to terms with something. Something that I hoped didn't involve her leaving me for good.

"I'm sorry… I didn't think she was going kiss me so I froze. Seriously."

"You didn't even wipe off the lipstick. Some part of you _must_ have enjoyed it. The two of you have always been closer than we were." She stated as she began to clinch her fist. Now I was starting to get a little bit confused about what she was saying.

"What are you talking about Yugito-cha---"

"Don't add chan to my name!" She yelled catching me off guard. I steadied my composure again and resume what I was saying.

"I don't understand what you are talking about. You know better than anyone else that I have always placed you above others. And she was always like a mother to me." I slowly tried to walk up to her again but she began to back up.

"No... you two have always been closer that mother and son and you know it… I've seen the way she teased you and the goofy smiles you used to wear when she did so. The amount of times you two spent private training despite the fact that you now had your mother and me as well. And this… this date. Who would seriously consider a play date with their _mother_ figure!"

"You're not suggesting that we were _together_ during those private training sessions?"

"How am I suppose to know what was going on? You never talked about it with me when you got back." I tried once again to get close to her but this time she swung at me. I quickly dodge that attack but wasn't prepare for the second, as her left foot quickly collided with my chin and sent me flying in the air and crashing to the ground. "Don't you even dare think about touching me right now. I-I-I hate you!" she shouted. Those three words instantly made me feel like the air around me disappeared.

"Y-y-you don't mean that, do you?" I asked as I struggled to get up. She closed her eyes for a second – which felt like a lifetime – before nodding her head and saying it again.

"Yes… I hate you Uzumaki Naruto." She stated clearly this time allowing her tears to glide down her cheeks. That blow hurt me more than any attack I have ever been forced to go through my entire life. I collapsed to one knee as I felt my world cave in.

She turned her back to me and said something that I couldn't quite understand before disappearing. I tried to get up and chase after her but a sudden strike of pain caused my body to become paralyzed. I could feel my chakra becoming irregular as it became violent within me. I instantly knew that something was happening to Regina-san.

I started to head in the direction I knew she was in but I suddenly stopped. Why was I forgetting all about Yugito-chan just to check up on Regina-san?

I dropped back to my knees as my body felt like it had suddenly lost all its will to move. I began to think that maybe, just maybe, she was right about Regina-san and me. But she couldn't be right, though. I didn't recall having any feelings for her that resemble the ones that I held for Yugito-chan…

I tried to get up again but my body was still locked in its current position. A splash of water on my hand abruptly jarred me from my train of thought. I stared up at the sky and wondered if it was raining, but the sky was still clear. That was when I realized that my eyes were shedding tears. And my body… it was too numb to tell me that they were.

By this time I had lost trace of Yugito's chakra trail and didn't have the energy to use the Hiraishin no jutsu to travel to her location and I was in no mood to try to fend off her attacks. At this time, I was more than lost, for the first time since I was a genin hopeful in the academy, I felt completely alone in this world.

"Why the long face, kit?"

I suddenly glanced up to see a battered Regina-san smiling down at me.

"What happened to you?" I asked, obviously surprised by the large amount of cuts and bruises she had, and she was supposed to still have her perfect healing ability.

"Oh… just got into a little scuffle with a hime. I won, though…"

"It doesn't look like you won." I said as I rose up.

"Forget about that and tell me what's wrong, kit." I paused for a second wondering if it was the right thing to do, telling her everything that had transpired in her absence. Then I decided that things couldn't get much worst than they already were in the first place.

"Yugito-chan found out that you kissed me and said that she hates me." I stated as I slumped back down on the bench.

"How did she find out?"

"Lipstick."

"Lipstick?"

"Yeah… your lipstick was on my lips." She suddenly began to gently rub my lips with her left hand.

"And it was still there." I brushed her hand off of me and looked the other way.

"And this is why I'm in trouble right now. She thinks I've been cheating on her with you for a while now."

"And what proof does she have?" Regina-san asked in a stern voice, which surprised me a little.

"None really, she just believes that we are closer to each other than her and me."

"But we are closer." She said as she suddenly placed her arms around my shoulders and embraced me from behind.

"Stop, please…"

"Why? You know it's true, your mother knows it's true, and even that neko knows now." I pulled myself from her and turned around to look at her to see if she was joking like she usually did. But the look on her face, it was serious.

"What are you talking about, Regina-san?"

"You felt when my chakra spiked, didn't you?" I nodded my head. "So tell me, why did you think about checking on me before going after neko-chan before you lost trace of her chakra?" my eyes popped opened.

"How did you know?"

"That's a stupid question kit. No one knows you better than me, not even yourself." She said as she walked up to me, placing her arms around me again. Something was screaming at me to back up, to push her away like before, but for some reason I was frozen once again. "Who was it that saved you from despair when you were still a little gaki in the academy? Who was the one who gave you the courage and strength to face your rivals in the chuunin exams?" Her body now was gently pressing up against my own. "I have always took care of you, kit, I've trained you from nothing to the very handsome and strong beast that stands in front of me today."

She started to caress the whisker birthmarks on my right cheek, tracing them with her left index and middle finger.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked, she gave me a very seductive smile that seemed to place me even deeper into her spell.

"It's so simple, kit, you belong to me and me alone. An unbreakable chain that bonds us for an eternity ties us together. I have groomed you to be the perfect fit to me and I have allowed you to play with the others long enough."

She pulled my head down, stealing yet another kiss from me – this one a little shorter than the other one.

"You don't own me." I stated, still locked in her _spell_.

"Yes, I don't own you as a possession, kit, but you still belong to me as my equal. Haven't you been wondering why you couldn't move when I first kissed you and now?" I stared at her with a dumbfounded expression causing her to giggle. "My pheromones are causing your body to give in to my demands. Your body knows that we are indeed meant to be together."

I was a bit taken aback by her statement and was finding it hard to believe. It had to be some kind of genjutsu she had casted on me that was preventing me from reacting like I normally would. But no matter how many times I tried to use the techniques that the ero-sennin and kaa-sama taught me, I was still locked in her arms. And she was right, it did feel like my body wanted to give in to her.

She suddenly stealed yet another kiss from my lips and this time my body reacted without me even thinking, kissing her back in the process. She pulled back with a very mischievous grin on her face.

"Let's go."

"Go where?"

"_Home._"

"Home?"


	28. 9th Shippuu: Scarlet Clouds

**Author's Note: I'm back again! First off, Happy Holidays to all of those who are reading. I hope you all have an enjoyable, and safe, time during the holidays.**

**Second, as usual thanks all for the reviews, it allowed me to renew my inspiration and try to get this story back on the track. It's been awhile since I wrote a good long fight scene and I wanted to get things a little **_**interesting. Hope you guys enjoy this one! And I also threw in a little something 'extra' as well just…**_

_**And final, advertisement time lol, I recently started a new fic based on the upcoming of my favorite Naruto Universe character, Pain, called Eminence. The second chapter will be up for it later this week. Check that out if you get a chance. Thanks in advance!**_

**01/10/2009: Revised**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**9th Shippuu: Scarlet Clouds over the Crimson Sea

Time for me remained motionless. I do not remember how long I laid there without moving, without thinking. It was as if the world around me had come to a complete halt. How in hell did things turn up like this, till this day I still don't know how I ended up in that situation. This all felt like a very bad dream to me, but there was the inescapable fact that this was indeed _my_ reality.

Beige colored walls helped me zone out long enough to temporarily escape my misery. The stale smell of the hotel room was more than enough to help keep my mind off other things, at least I thought until Regina-san stirred a little in her sleep as she mumbled a few incoherent words before hugging me even tighter. I could feel her supple breast pressed up against my chest. My body stiffened as her bare body reminded me of the intense amount of guilt as it washed over me. What the hell was I doing? I knew I loved Yugito-chan… there was no doubt about that, but this… this was just…

I slowly rose up from the bed, making sure not to wake Regina-san in the process. She whined a little before wrapping her arms around the pillow, no doubt she was unconsciously using it as my replacement. I walked into the bathroom and threw some ice-cold water on my face. I needed something to snap me out of my trance. The damage had already been done. There was no use for me to continue this moping. I knew Yugito-chan was the one really suffering about this and as soon as she found out about this, she would most likely never forgive me. As I turned the faucet off, I stared at myself in the mirror. The man looking back at me, I no longer recognized him. He was as foreign as the strange, very confusing, feelings I now held for Regina-san.

"What are you doing, kit?" Regina-san asked in a drowsy tone.

"Nothing… just washing up." I answered.

"Come back to bed… it's still too early."

"So says the strongest demon in history." I remarked in a sarcastic tone. She made a loud _scoff _noise in response.

The two of us had decided, more like I was forced, to spend the night in a hotel back on the inland closer to the boarder of the Mizu no Kuni in a tiny merchant village. I still didn't quite understand what she meant by _home,_ but she only told me that I would instantly know what she meant once we got there.

I sighed out loud as I gently rubbed my left shoulder. She definitely was an _animal_…

As I stepped out of the bathroom I noticed that she had already fell back to sleep. I glanced over at the clock that was sitting on the dresser and noticed that it was five in the morning. As I glanced back at the female that rested in the bed, I smirked a little. It was always a strange sight to see Regina-san behave like a human every now and then.

I quickly threw my clothes on and stepped out of the hotel room. I really needed to get some fresh air to help clear my head so I could decide exactly where I should go from here. There was no way I could leave Yugito-chan like this but there was also no way I could just show back up and everything would be instantly alright. Hell… kaa-sama could possibly kill me if she found out just how _far_ I got with Regina-san last night.

The climate outside was damp as a light rain showered down on my head. I took this time to take in the scenery of our _get-away_ spot. Many of the buildings bore that old western style housing that showed that this village still showcased the influences of foreigners of the past. Instead of paved roads, my feet stepped hard on gravel and rock, old carts with horses to pull transport cargo were parked along the side. The night lamps were lit by flames that flickered in the wind.

The sun had yet to rise when I felt the feeling of someone watching me. Instead of reacting on instinct and turning around, I decided to keep going on as if nothing had happened. At first, I thought it was just Regina-san playing her usual kitsune tricks on me, but she would never be so obvious about it. Even though I always knew she was going to play a trick, I was never able to prevent her from doing so.

No, these eyes were ominous and somewhat oppressive. I could feel the malicious intent deep down in my stomach. I nonchalantly placed both my hands in my pockets and went through a couple of hand seals, not allowing my chakra to flare at any point. Instead of letting my stalker know I was aware of their existence, I decided to lead him, or them, away from the village. The last thing I needed on my concience was any innocent bystander getting caught up in a fight. Kami knows I already had enough on my plate to handle.

As I reached the end of the city, a large crow landed on a post that was attached to the right side of the gate that circled the city. There was something about the void that was supposed to house the bird's black eyes that instantly made me tense up. Whoever was following me knew just how to creep a person out.

"I see you actually realize that we were following you." A stoic voice spoke in the darkness ahead of me.

"Awww… and here I was hopping there be a huge chase too." A second, more menacing, voice stated from the same position.

As the ray of light from the rising sun shone through the thicket of trees, I caught the horrifying glimpse of the dark robes that bored the scarlet clouds that almost looked like they were tattooed on with the blood of those who had fallen before them.

I found myself staring down a pair of crimson eyes that wore the same detached expression that his vengeful brother wore for the duration that I knew him. Standing before me was the last person I was hoping to face so early in the game, one Uchiha Itachi.

"I believe you know why we are here Uzumaki Naruto."

"Indeed." I replied matching his tone.

"So are we goin' ta do this tha hard way or tha easy way?" The strange looking man that looked like a cross between a human and a shark with a huge sword wrapped in bandages stood next to him stated in a commanding tone. It was obvious which way he wanted things to go – almost as obvious as my answer to his question.

"Why are you after us?" I asked, deciding that I should at least try to gain some type of information from them before I fought for my life. The outcome of this match was unclear, if they decided to fight me one-on-one, there was a chance that I could make it out of this alive. But if they were to team up on me, well, things wouldn't really end pretty. The one thing I did know was the fact that this was going to be my first _real_ fight in a very long time, a fight that I did not know the conclusion to.

**II**

Naruto's mind began to quickly skim through the many decisions he could make in regards to his currently dire situation. But all he could come up with, was one possible answer, to run. In the same amount of time it took to blink, he slung two kunai at the nuke-nin. As they two batted the abrupt attack aside, they noticed at the last minute that both had explosives tag attached to them. Naruto added some of his chakra to the kunai, causing the explosion to nearly double in magnitude. The tree behind them was set ablaze as he began to dash forward past them. He didn't know where he was running to, but as long as he didn't get anyone caught up in this vacuum of a fight, then he would figure out the rest, hopefully.

"Simple…" He heard the bored tone of the Uchiha say as his crimson red orbs stared up at him in the midst of the darkness. Naruto stopped dead in his tracks as he pulled out two more kunai and slung them at the man. Itachi this time charged forward, barely dodging the kunai as they barely grazed his cloak.

Naruto allowed Itachi to enter his range before throwing a heavy kick toward the Uchiha. Itachi ducked under the attack and threw a hard left to Naruto's chest. Naruto just barely managed to catch his attack as he twisted his opponent's wrist hard to the left before swinging the leg that was already in the air down in an axe kick against the shoulder of Itachi, causing his body to crash against the ground.

Naruto quickly pulled out another kunai and motioned to stab it through his back, but, as he did so, Itachi's body was replaced with a flock of crows. Naruto instantly picked up on Itachi's chakra signature and turned around in time to take on the full blunt of a boot to the face, sending him skidding backwards as he forced more of his chakra to his feet to help keep his balance.

Before Naruto could regain his composure, Itachi was already on the attack as he unloaded a right hook and a left haymaker, forcing Naruto to place his arms up in a defensive position absorbing the blows the best he could. Itachi ended the combo with a right knee to Naruto's exposed abdomen, forcing up the copper flavored liquid into his mouth, only to meet with a left uppercut to his chin, sending him once again flying. But a fleeting smirk on his face caused the stoic Itachi to question what really happened.

The floating body dispersed in a large cloud of smoke. Itachi instantly swung around with a kunai in hand, just in time to deflect a wind chakra infused kunai as it sliced right through it. Itachi ducked down and pushed Naruto away allowing a needed distance between the two. Naruto focus more of his chakra into his kunai before yelling "Kazekatana!" as the wind around the kunai extended to the length of four-foot katana.

"I guess those cursed eyes will be even more a problem for me than I thought, eh?" Naruto spoke as his cerulean orbs twinkled in the light of the dawning morning. Itachi's impassive mask shifted to one with a faint smile as Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder, Naruto ducked down and stabbed his _Kazekatana _into the gut of the being behind him, who proved to be a bushin of Itachi, but Naruto had already fell into his trap. The moment he had turned around to protect his back allowed Itachi to run through several hand seals before yelling, "Katon: Housenka!" sending multiple balls of flame toward Naruto.

"Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as a large amount of chakra began to expel from every one of his chakra points until his body was encased in a veil of wind that proved strong enough to ward off Itachi's attack. The image of Naruto through Itachi's Sharingan's eyes began to blur as the massive amount of chakra he was emitting was beginning to cloud his presence.

Naruto figured this would be the case thanks to the past fight he had with the younger Uchiha so many years ago. Naruto took this as his only opportunity to change the tide of this fight. Without even going through the needed hand seals, several kage bushin appeared beside the original as they began to intermix with one another, making it even harder for the Uchiha to follow.

Itachi knew that Naruto had grown stronger over the years thanks to Jiraiya and his mother, but this jutsu of his was completely new to him. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he placed his hand down on the ground, sending several waves of chakra through it.

Naruto, not wanting to allow him any more time to regroup, switched to the offensive as his squad attacked Itachi all at once. But as soon as they stepped within arms reached of him, the chakra Itachi had sent out earlier created a massive explosion that took out all of the Narutos and set the tiny thicket of trees ablaze.

Itachi knew this wasn't the end of it – that attack was far too weak for his target to be defeated this easily. His crimson shaded orbs quickly scanned through the flames for the jinchuuriki that had managed to escape his grasp at the last second.

The wind began to pick up as two strong breezes blew past each side of Itachi, causing his cloak to flap. That was before a burning sensation struck his sides as blood poured from the gashes that had just appeared. He looked up to see two Naruto's with their back to him and two _Kazekatana _in their hands. The one of the right glanced back with a menacing smirk on his face as he disappeared in a blur of wind and water.

A limb from the tree that stood to the back of Itachi fell from it's position as it gave into the hell bent clutches of the flames that continued to take its brethren. The air was dense with smoke, making it taxing to even breathe.

Itachi stood up ignoring the searing pain that tore at his mind as he focused on the task at hand. From several spy reports, he had been warned that the blond was well known for his kitsune-like tricks, but witnessing them first hand was a different story. The once blundering dobe of his younger brother's class had truly grown into a dangerous shinobi not to trifle with. But his tricks wouldn't be enough to save him _this _time.

Itachi snapped his hands open as kunai appeared in both. He then slung both blades in two separate directions. He heard two _clank_ sounds as he disappeared just as quick as Naruto did earlier.

Naruto wasn't expecting him to find his location so quickly and had no other choice but to deflect the blade with his _Kazekatana_. Itachi suddenly appeared behind him and landed a heavy punch to the back of his head, causing him to fall to the ground as his genjutsu fell. He was masking himself with the flames while feeding off of Itachi's confusion – if it had been any lesser shinobi; this fight would have been decided already.

Itachi stomped down on the back of his head, causing him to grunt out in pain as his body exploded in large cloud of smoke. Itachi grunted in frustration as he was once again fooled thanks to Naruto's _Kaze Gaitou_.

"I guess I truly underestimated you Uzumaki…" Itachi said in a low drawl. Suddenly the normal three tomes that circle his Sharingan shifted to the single shape of what looked like a shuriken.

Naruto felt a strange chakra engulf him as he was forced to a stand still as Itachi slowly stalked toward him. He couldn't explain what was going on but when he felt his control over his limb return to him, he instantly charged at the man with his _Kazekatana _poised to finish this fight – that was until the world around him bled with black liquid until anything and everything was covered leaving only the two of them visible in this void of light and life.

Naruto stopped and quickly began to bounce backwards creating a large distance between the two of them as his instinct screamed to him that something just wasn't right about this.

"What the hell did you just do?" Naruto demanded as he glared at his opponent. The man only stared at him, not even blinking.

A sudden crack of thunder snapped Naruto out of his one-sided staring contest as he glanced at the sky. Instead of the the orange bleeding into blue colors of the sky that would be called normal for a morning sky, there was nothing but a dark crimson, matching the pair of orbs that were still staring at him unchanging. No longer stood the trees that were on fire or the dim city light of the village that stood behind them. In their steed was a dock with a turbulent crimson sea that reminded him of blood.

This was when everything seemed to dawn on the blond. He was trapped in some sort of powerful genjutsu.

"When did you…"

"The moment you stared into my eyes when we first met." Itachi answered without allowing him to finish.

"Humph…" Naruto grunted as he used what he was taught to dispel genjutsu, but to his surprise nothing happened. He tried again, and again, and yet again but his efforts only prove to be fruitless.

"This is my Tsukuyomi… you are now in my world. A world where every little thing flows only because I will it to." He said as Naruto suddenly found himself strapped to a stake by burning chains that scorched through his bare flesh, causing him to wail out in pain.

He tried to fight his way free but was only met with more resistance from the chains, as they grew even tighter around his body.

Never in his life had he been forced to suffer from such pain and yet it seemed to only get worse by the second. As he somehow managed to set one arm free he felt that very important limb get severed by a flame induced blade, causing him to howl this time as searing hot tears poured down from his eyes.

Suddenly thousand of tiny kunai began to penetrate his body over and over as the chains continued to cut deeper and deeper into his tender skin. He could smell the awful stench of burnt flesh, _his _own flesh.

"Had enough, Uzumaki?" Itachi's voice was heard in the far off distance.

"Heh… I'm just taking a little breather so I can come back and rip those damn bloody eyes out of your skull and feed them to you." Naruto spoke through clinched teeth. Both Itachi and him knew that this was a powerless threat but he wasn't about to give in to this world, not for a second. And that was when he remembered the one thing he had left at his disposal, the intense amount of pain he was suffering had caused it to temporarily escape his mind. Hopefully it would work since he had already cast the jutsu back in the village before he encountered the nuke-nin.

"Bushin Irekae no Jutsu!" He grinded out through his torment.

"I told you that I had complete control over this world." The Itachi drawled out with a hint of malice in his impassive tone.

Suddenly he felt his own world come crashing down on him as a sharp pain struck through the center of his back. He was violently jarred back into the _real _world staring up at one very mentally exhausted Uzumaki Naruto.

"But how?" Itachi questioned when he glanced back at the original position that Naruto was when he was first caught in the Tsukuyomi.

"That's a secret…" Naruto spat out as his kunai flared to life, returning to the _Kazekatana _state as Naruto motioned to punch it right through Itachi's chest. But the nuke-nin was too quick as Naruto only managed to stab through a random crow as the Uchiha disappeared once again.

Naruto, on a mental level, was near his end. He was already worn out from previous events between him, his girlfriend, and his _lover_. That hell he had just returned from was more than enough to send him off the edge, he was still surprised that he was able to hold up long enough to think of a plan of escape and more than happy to know it worked.

Itachi, on the other hand, wasn't fairing too well either. The wound in his back had punctured through his lung and an immense amount of blood was beginning to spill from it. He used a chuunin ranked jutsu to cover up the wound as he popped a soldier pill in his mouth, hoping to gain the needed chakra he lost during his use of the Tsukuyomi. He wasn't planning on using it against the jinchuuriki but his prowess as a shinobi was far more than he had originally expected.

The snapping and popping of the trees as they continued to be burnt by the flames seemed to snap both of them out of their trance as they returned to the task at hand. Naruto went through the same pattern of hand seals as before as the wind once began to take on his form as his _Kaze Gaitou _returned to life. The one jutsu he held that leveled the playing field when it came to fighting an Uchiha or a Hyuuga.

It didn't take long for Naruto to zero in on Itachi's new location; the dark cloaked figure was standing in the dead center of the flames, the cardinal eyes glowing violently as they matched the flickers of the flames. It was almost as if he belonged in those flames. He slightly lifted the left side of his robe and pulled out his own kunai, which held a bleach white hilt that seemed so out of place with everything else that was going on around him. With his free hand, he beckoned for Naruto to come at him.

Naruto nodded his consent and quickly charged at him but stopped in the middle as he flung dozens of kunai in Itachi's direction. The Uchiha countered with a barrage of his own – thousand of _clinks _and _clanks_ were heard like bells as spark lit the area like fireworks.

Naruto ducked under the hell storm and swiped his _Kazekatana_ at Itachi's neck, who quickly countered with his own katana. The two exchanged several blows as the two blades clashed with each push, proving that the two were currently equal in their swordsmanship and speed. A second Itachi suddenly leaped out from behind him with the intent of landing a finishing blow to Naruto's head but was only met with a quick jab to the chest as a second Naruto leaped out, matching the other's bushin.

In the moment of chaos, Naruto quickly drew out a second kunai that instantly flared up with wind forming another _Kazekatana _and plunged it into Itachi's chest right through his heart. Blood spilled from Itachi's lips as he glared at the blond before a large flock of crows, much larger than the ones before, began to swoop in on Naruto as they stabbed and pecked at his body. If it weren't for the _Kaze Gaitou _the damage would have been mammoth.

Naruto tossed the second _Kazekatana _in the air as he used his left hand to run through the needed seals before releasing one of his stronger jutsu in his arsenal, "Kaze Naihatsu!" He shouted as a vicious wave of wind swept over the battlefield as the flames were sent even further into the thicket as the crows were ripped to shreds. Thanks to that attack, the damaged trees that were just barely hanging on were wiped out as well, leaving nothing but a circle patch of death were nature once resided.

A kunai was suddenly sent toward Naruto's forehead; he quickly caught with his right index and middle finger and quickly launched it back to where it had come from. The kunai morphed into Itachi as he slung another barrage of shurikens this time forcing Naruto to react in a different method.

"Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as he completed the needed hand seals just in time as his _Kaze Gaitou _began to expand out to a dome shape as the wind began to spend more violently. The shurikens were caught in its trap and flied in every direction as Naruto quickly disperse the jutsu, returning it to its original form as he launched a heavy right to the jaw of Itachi, who was trying to sneak an attack in during the duration it took to cancel the _Kaze Uzu Gaitou _and bring back the _Kaze Gaitou_.

The Uchiha's body was sent hurtling to the ground – that is if Naruto would have allowed it. Before Itachi's body landed, he received a devastating kick to the center of his back, in the very same spot where he was still nursing his stab wound from earlier. The force from the blow was enough to send Itachi in the opposite direction where he was once again met with the same fate. For a minute, he was volleyed back and forth between the two Naruto's like a beach ball until a third Naruto finished it stabbing his _Kazekatana _right through his chest. Itachi was just barely able to dodge the attack saving his heart from damage as the blade slid to the left of it, still catching onto flesh as it passed thanks to the wind.

Naruto added to the injury as he then landed on top of Itachi forcing up more blood from the nuke-nin's battered mouth, his orbs now fading into a dim glow. Naruto reeled back to finish him off for good when he noticed something about his eyes as they began to weep blood while Itachi held his hands in tora seal. Naruto's instinct once again began to scream at him to get back as he recalled his _Kaze Uzu Gaitou_.

"Amaterasu!" were the words that set the entire area to black flames as intense as the searing flames of hell. The dark twisted flames engulfed everything in its path, including Naruto himself. The torturing heat was becoming too much for Itachi to handle as he leaped up in the air allowing him to gain a small breather, yet another jutsu that he did not want to bring out in this fight. The jinchuuriki had proved to be more than just a challenge to the ex-Konoha ANBU captain.

His vision began to fade as the effects from the two dangerous jutsu began to take their toll on his body. As he glanced toward the flames he caught the image of the last thing he wanted to see. That boy… Uzumaki Naruto… was still standing in the core of the hell that he had just created.

Itachi started to grip the hilt of an ancient blade that he knew would secure this win for him but felt his hand slip to the side as he realized that the boy was no longer conscious. He was only standing thanks to a strong will to survive.

"Took ya long enough… I was beginnin' to wonder if he was goin' getcha in the end." The sharp words of his partner, Kisame, snapped him out of his trance as he glanced behind him.

"Just grab him… and let's get this over with ok?" Itachi stated in a tired and harsh tone. Kisame only chuckled as he grabbed the blond with one hand and lifted him over his shoulder. The pitch-black flames continued to burn as if they were still searching for something to devour.

"Every time I see it, I get the chills…." Kisame said to no one as he began to walk off. Itachi's eyes were nearly on the verge of failing him when he nearly toppled over.

"Don't tell me I'm gonna have to carry ya too?" Kisame questioned. Itachi only grunted as he righted himself before walking past his partner.

**III**

Unbeknownst to both of them, a pair of eyes lay in wait as they watched almost everything that had transpired. The owner of these eyes were the very being those two were sent to capture.

"I hope they don't think they will get away with treating my kit that way…" She seethed.

------  
**Translations:  
**_Kazekatana: (Original jutsu) _Wind Katana  
_Katon: Housenka:_ Fire Element: Mythical Fire Flower: Sends multiple balls of flame at the target. It is also possible to hide shurikens within the fireballs, creating an unexpected secondary attack._  
Fuuton: Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu: (Original jutsu) _Wind Release: The Air of Wind Cloak: User releases chakra from everyone of their chakra points at a constant rate and molds with wind around them forming a barrier that takes the shape of their body.  
_Tsukuyomi: _Moon Phase: Named after the Shinto god of the moon, this Genjutsu is one of the most powerful Uchiha jutsu enabled by the Mangekyō Sharingan. The Mangekyō user places the victim in an illusory world where the user controls all aspects, including the perception of time. Uchiha Itachi uses this ability to inflict three days' worth of torment on his victims, while in reality only three seconds may have passed, which tends to leave the victim bedridden. However, Tsukuyomi is an enormous chakra drain on the user, which discourages its frequent use. Itachi is seemingly only able to use it for the equivalent of three days maximum.  
_Bushin Irekae no Jutsu: (Original jutsu) _Art of Clone Replacement: Allows user to pin point the chakra signatures of each of the clones the user creates and replace them with their own body or vice versa.  
_Fuuton: Kaze Uzu Gaitou no Jutsu_: _(Original Jutsu) _Wind Release: Wind Vortex Cloak: The next level of Kaze Gaitou no Jutsu. User creates a dome of chakra and wind that surround them. The vortex of wind that is constantly moving within the dome rips at what enters it.


	29. 10th Shippuu: Dancing Flames

**Author's Notes: I'm back once again! Before we get started I just want to address a issue that some people were worried about after the last chapter. I will once again state that this will not turn into a Harem fic and I plan to keep it on the same course. Just decided to throw n some controversy to keep you guys guessing and excited. And hopefully this chapter continues to fuel that excitement. **

**Also I want to give a **_**MAJOR**_** shout out to SoulCry for revising all Twenty-Eight of the previous chapters of Immanence. Also the next update for **_**Eminence**_** will be out before Friday and **_**Vanished Without a Trace**_** will be out before Sunday.**

**As usual, thanks again for all the support and I look forward to reading your reviews.**

**Immanence**  
_Resurrection of Uzumaki no Kuni_**  
**10th Shippuu: Dancing Flames of the Wavering Heart

_**I couldn't believe how things had quickly gone from great to hell in the matter of a couple of days. Thanks to all the preparations for war and training I had forgot about the possibility of the Akatsuki making a move. And they also picked the perfect time to do so. Till the end, those guys proved to be more of a pain than anything or anyone else.**_

During the time Naruto and the Kyuubi had decided to elope with one another, Jiraiya had just barely managed to get Kushina back to the hotel where Tsunade immediately began to work on her. The chakra from the Kyuubi was consuming ever cell it got its hand on causing several of Kushina's organ to bleed internally. It took a day and a sleepless night for Tsunade and Shizune before they finally brought her out of her critical stage. Kushina life was saved, but just barely.

When Kushina's eyes finally opened the only thing that was on her mind was her son.

"Where's Naruto?" she asked in a meek voice as her body was still weak from the poison.

Jiraiya was seating at her side at the time, it was his time to take watch over her, and glanced in the other direction.

"No one knows where he is." He stated in a somber tone.

"Did that _demon_ take him away?" she forced out.

"Most likely."

"Didn't Yu-chan and him work on Minato's jutsu together? Shouldn't she be able to find him?"

"Yes, but there is a problem with that."

Kushina sighed a little as she tried to move. Every muscle in her body felt like they were about to burst in flames as she released a loud groan. Jiraiya placed his hands on her shoulder letting her know that it was still to early for her to move.

"What happened…?"

"Yugito is refusing to search for him. It seems that she believes that he was cheating on her with the Kyuubi and his disappearance is giving her the feeling that he has cast her side."

"Bullshit!" she shouted right before groaning once again.

"You still as stubborn as ever." Jiraiya sighed.

"I know that **bitch**__is just manipulating Naru-chan to do what she wants. Where is Yu-chan now?"

"She is with Aoi right now. When she found out about Naruto disappearing she tried to run away but Aoi stopped her. I swear I've never seen the girl act in such a way before. She used to be so emotionless and now she is on the verge of breaking." Jiraiya stated as he frowned. He, just like everyone else involved in this mess, hated to see those two go through this. Jiraiya once again began to seethe as thoughts of the Kyuubi once again tearing apart the family of his greatest student and closest friend.

"I've decided." Kushina said all of a sudden bringing Jiraiya back to his senses.

"You've decided what?"

Kushina forced her body up despite the large amount of pain that was rippling through her. Jiraiya tried once again to push her down but this time she brushed him off to the side, as she finally was able to rise up out of the bed.

"I'm taking my Naru-chan back and killing that **kitsune bitch**."

"Don't be stupid Kushina. Now is not the time to go searching for Naruto. Let Yugito and him handle this situation. Your _Naru-chan_ is an adult. You can't always just show up and force him to follow your rules."

"This is not about him following my rules, this about setting things _right!"_ she yelled as she reached her feet. Her yelling had caused Shizune to walk in the room to see what was going on.

"Why are you up and walking Kushina-san? You are only hurting yourself, please lay back down."

"Listen to her Kushina." Jiraiya pleaded.

"I don't care if I die because of this, I will _not_ lose my son a second time thanks to that damn kitsune." She gritted her teeth as she tuned out the pain.

Suddenly a needle was launched in her neck causing her to instantly fall limp forcing Jiraiya to catch her before she collided with the floor. Both Jiraiya and Shizune turned around to see Tsunade leaning against the doorframe with a tired expression on her face. She was probably the most exhausted of them all since she had used up almost all of her chakra reserve trying to save Kushina just a few hours ago.

"Tsu…"

"You said it already Jiraiya, she is _stubborn_." Tsunade interrupted as she walked out letting out a loud yawn.

"It's not like you to use those sort of methods…" Jiraiya said as he placed Kushina back in her bed. Shizune nodded as she walked out of the room.

**II**

Jiraiya glanced up at the moon and began to wonder what would be their next move now. Thanks to this _major _detour in their plans, they weren't able to launch a full on attack against Akisame. Instead they were forced to only send Shikamaru since Aoi was needed to help consol Yugito, and the rest were left to deal with Kushina and recovering Naruto.

With a snap of his fingers his bushin dispersed in a cloud of smoke revealing to him all that had just transpired back in the hotel. Unbeknownst to most of them, he had long gone after the trail of Naruto and the Kyuubi as soon as he gave Kushina to Tsunade. He left a kage bushin behind to keep tab on things there while he continued to search. He kind of felt bad for scolding Kushina about trying to hunt her son down when he was actually doing that very same thing.

Not to mention the other issue that he had discovered when he did find the blond. To say it was a huge surprise to see that Naruto had actually _slept _with the Kyuubi was a huge understatement. Not to mention the dire fact that now Naruto was in the clutches of the Akatsuki made things very problematic on every level.

He could still sense the chakra signatures of the two who captured Naruto and knew that the Kyuubi was hot on their trail. His first thought was to take action, but he later found that he no longer had the drive to recue his pupil. He didn't understand why he was undergoing such odd feelings but it left him motionless throughout the entire battle between Naruto and Itachi. He cursed under his breath as he motioned to punch the tree next to him but he stopped himself in the middle of the act. Now wasn't the time for him to act like a child. He would have to figure out just why he was hesitating in saving the blond – before it reach a point where he could no longer be saved.

**III**

The world of emotions had always been a foreign thing to Yugito but the current wave of feelings was no stranger to her. She hadn't felt this betrayed, this heartbroken, this disheveled since she was a young child suffering from the oppression of the council as they strived to change her into the perfect weapon for their village.

She didn't know what to do with herself right now. A part of her wanted to track Naruto down – she had a better chance of finding him better than anyone else at the time – and confront him. But the other half was showcasing her fear; the idea of Naruto rejecting her had seeded a thick root in her heart that left her frozen in her place.

Aoi had witness many of the changes in her former student over the years ever since they ran into the infamous Uzumaki Naruto but the one she was witnessing now was one that she never really considered. To her right, in the center of the park where the altercation between Naruto and Yugito had transpired – their first fight – was a red eyed, emotional shaken teenage girl. Aoi placed her arm around Yugito, which caused said kunoichi to glance up; eyes blood shot from fighting back the ever-pressing tears.

"It's better let it out ya know? We should talk about this before you end up killing yourself inside." She paused as she frowned at the choice of words she used but Yugito didn't seemed to mind it much. "What exactly happened?" she asked.

"He picked the _Kyuubi_ over _me_." Yugito replied in a very bitter tone.

"Are you sure about this? I mean did he actually tell you that you to were… _through_?"

"He doesn't need to tell me anything. I could sense it in him during the last time I saw him."

"You still don't know that for a fact. Things may look grim right now but this was yall first fight. When emotions are involved like this, things sort of get kinda cloudy and hard to read." Aoi glanced down at the tattooed seal that was resting on Yugito's wrist. "I mean why would he give you _that_—" she pointed to the tattoo "if he didn't care about you?"

"But…"

"Why won't you talk to him? You guys should talk things out before you get all depressed like. This isn't you, you're a lot stronger than this… a lot stronger than me at this…" Aoi added.

Yugito remained silent for a moment as a light turned on in Aoi's head.

"Don't tell me ya scare to talk to him?"

"No! uh… yes…" she retreated as she began to stare at the couple who was walking by them on the walkway. Aoi sighed out loud as she began to shake her head.

"You have nothing to be scare of ya know?" Yugito glanced up at her as if to be asking '_how so'_? "Of all the people we've met over our lifetimes, he would be the last person to abandon _anybody_. And the sad thing about this is you also know this to be a fact."

Yugito froze in her stare at her former sensei. Since the day she had met him he had always strived for recognition from everyone. His nindo was to never go back on his word and he had promised her that he would always love her. And going by his track record he was still perfect when it came to completing his promises.

She sighed a little as she suddenly stood up startling Aoi in the process.

"What is it Yugito?"

"I'm going to talk to him." she stated firmly as if she was trying to strengthen her resolve behind her sudden decision. Aoi smiled a little bit until the corner of her eye caught glimpse of two shadowy figures in dark robes and red clouds tacked all over them. Reality dawn on her as she remembered who were the people that fell under these descriptions, the Akatsuki.

"Before you talk to whoever it is you need to talk to, how about we have a little _talk _of our own?" one of the men whom head was entirely covered except for his eyes. On his forehead he sported the forehead protector of Takigakure no Sato with the patented scratch through the symbol meaning he was a nuke-nin.

"Why are you here?" Aoi spat out at the man.

"You _know _why we are here." The man stated as he glanced over at Yugito.

"Run!" Aoi shouted to Yugito as she leaped in front of her.

"Oi Kakuzu?" the grey haired member who dawn the forehead protector from the deteriorated Yugakure no Sato around his neck.

"What is it now Hidan?" he replied in a drawl tone.

"Think you can handle the first part, I must offer my prayers to God."

"Pointless." Kakuzu stated as he shook his head.

"Oi, I'm not a fan of em either but I must be strict with my faith." Hidan replied.

"Whatever, just hurry it up then."

The sound of electricity caught both of their attentions as Kakuzu turned around to see what was the source. He was met with a large explosion of lightening that almost took out a third of the park engulfing both members of Akatsuki.

Aoi had exhausted nearly half of her chakra supply just to summon enough to create an explosion of such magnitude. Her limbs felt as heavy as boulders and her sight was becoming blurry. She quickly glanced around toward Yugito and frowned.

"I thought I told you to run?!" she shouted again.

"I can't!" Yugito fired back as she glared at her former sensei.

"What the hell do you mean you can't?! That was an order!"

"And you're no longer my superior Aoi-san!"

Aoi started to forced the girl to run but a freeze chill crept all the way up and back down her spine as she turned back around to see that both Akatsuki were still standing, somewhat unharmed by her attack. Kakuzu's cloak had been destroyed in the attack and Hidan had managed to dodge it.

"Fuck!"

"I like her!" Hidan shouted as he appeared behind Kakuzu. "I think I'll play with her."

"What bout your prayers?"

"I'll just repent after I'm done. Hell, it's against the key precept of the _Faith of Jashin_ to leave anything _half-_dead anyway. So holding back against the jinchuuriki would be a sin. I think ya can handle her by yourself."

"Fine. I'll take care of the jinchuuriki then."

"Last time Yugito, run!"

"I've already told you my answer to that!"

As soon as she finished her sentence Kakuzu was right in her face launching a sidekick in the direction of her abdomen. Yugito swept her left arm to the side to bat his kick away and landed a hard right to his Adam's apple sending him back a little. But he quickly recovered and ducked down and tried to sweep kick her off her feet. Yugito quickly hopped in the air dodging the attack and slamming down hard on his leg breaking it in half.

"Taijutsu is one of my specialties." Yugito stated in a triumph tone but her statement was only met with laughter.

"If you think that was enough to set me back then this is going to be easy." He stated.

Yugito suddenly noticed the many rings of stitches around his arms and realized that when she landed on his leg, it didn't feel like a _normal_ crack of bones.

"What are you?"

"A real monster." He replied as he used the same leg she was standing on to launch her in the air where he quickly grabbed her by the ankle and slammed her hard into the ground face first. Blood spilled onto the dirt from her busted lip and cut up tongue thanks to her own teeth.

She quickly pushed off the ground and tried to hit him with a helicopter kick but he blocked her attack with left forearm and kicked her in the stomach. Yugito clutched her leg in pain and it felt like she made have fractured it.

"What…the hell?"

"Look's like you've finally realized it." he said as he pointed to his arm.

"You harden your body?"

"Correct, physically attacks will be useless against me."

"I see…" Yugito said as she slowly rose to her feet. She reentered her fighting stance as she began to glare up at the man.

"Stubborn eh?"

As Kakuzu began to stalk toward her, she slung down two smoke grenades catching him off guard. The smoke filled his lungs causing them to burn from the lack of oxygen as he began to cough. Yugito took this time to create some distance between them but a massive burst of wind caused her to lose her footing and land on her back.

"Trying to run away?"

"The opposite." She replied as she quickly began to run through a series of hand seals. "I needed space to activate this jutsu. Katon: Kazangansen Shintai no Jutsu!" she yelled as her body burst in a fit of raging flames. The flames were so intense that the grass and dirt below her feet began to smolder. Knowing that this fight could be the toughest once yet, she began to pull in some of the chakra from the Nibi as the red and orange flames began to have a bluish green shade bleed into it. Suddenly she disappeared from his sight causing his eyes quickly scan over the area.

"Oh." He said as she suddenly reappeared behind him launching a fearsome combo of attacks with the added effect of fire to his body. He could only stand there and take it because her attacks were just to fast for him to counter. His body shook like a rag doll from each blow until she finished it by plunging her right fist through his chest stabbing through his heart in the process.

Blood spat up from his mouth onto her body but it sizzled away as soon as it got close to her skin. His body fell limp as his eyes closed. She violently slung him on the ground. She had to hurry to Aoi's side and make sure she was ok

All of a sudden she felt a violent foot to the center of her back sending her flying into one of the last remaining trees in the park. She quickly turned around and saw that it was Kakuzu.

"How… I killed you…" she stated as her bewilderment was only matched by her fear at that time.

"Simple… I'm immortal." He spoke in an all-knowing tone as he began to hunch over as four large shadowy like figured burst from his back and began to stand behind him. The fouth one suddenly collapsed as Kakuzu sighed. "Thanks to that little trick of yours I will have to restock up now."

"Restock?"

"Something you won't have to worry about once we're finish. Now do you give up or shall we continue?"

Yugito fought her way back to her feet; her body was in pain but still on fire. She pumped more of her chakra and the Nibi's into her jutsu as the flames began to roar, as they became more bluish green. A tail began to form behind her as her pupil formed into slits.

"And the neko is beginning to reveal itself I see."

With even greater speed than before, Yugito had managed to close in the gap between the two of them but instead of attacking like before she began to run through a set of hand seals with lightening like speed.

"Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu!" she yelled as the fire around her began to spiral into a ball and smashed directly into Kakuzu's face pushing him back several yard as his entire body was engulfed in flames.

In the mist of the flames, he began to run through a few seals of his own causing a wave of water to splash over him calming the flames. Yugito began to glance around.

"Where did you get your water source from?"

"Science."

"Huh?"

"The human body is mostly made of water, giving me a perfect amount of water to use when needed."

Yugito frowned as she began to run through the same hand seals as before.

"That same trick won't work on me again." Kakuzu said as he noticed the same pattern but he managed to miss the slight difference she had added.

"Deyueru Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu!"

"Suiton: Junsai!" he yelled just about at the same time.

The spiraling ball of flame crashed right into his wall of water that was shielding him from the attack but he didn't expect a second ball of flames to crashed right into his back. Yugito took this as her opportunity to finish him off from behind with one final attack but she was met with great resistance.

The three demonic black bodies that he had expelled from his own body early had finally made their move. She felt something tangle around her body and slam her hard against the ground.

"Nice try, but you are a century to young to think you can outwit me."

Two of the masked entities reentered his body with each mask resting on his shoulders now as the other one standing in the back.

Yugito pumped a large amount of chakra into her legs as she literally teleported to Kakuzu's main but was pushed back by a violent wave of water from the body behind him that almost caused her flames to fizzle out.

Before she could get up over several dozen black tentacles began to pierce through her body. He then viciously ripped them all from her body causing blood to spray all over the ground. Yugito released a loud shrill as her flames had finally dispersed completely. She could feel the Nibi's chakra race to heal her wounds but there were far too severe for her to be able to move. Not to mention the large amount of mental duress from suppressing the Nibi causing her to be near her limit. She was on the edge of consciousness; the only thing keeping her awake was the pain from the many lacerations on her body that wept with blood.

Strangely, her thoughts weren't on her own predicament at that time. Instead it was on one blond, the man that had managed to turn her life around for the best. Even if they may be separated right now, she still wished to see him. At first, that feeling was minute but it quickly erupted into a craven, and then a need.

She no longer cared what would happen to her just as long as she was allowed to see the man she loved at least once more. She didn't care what he did or if he had really chose the Kyuubi over her. She just needed to see his face.

"Still fighting until the very end eh?" she heard Kakuzu say in the distance. She could feel the atmosphere around her grow heavy as his sight began to fade.

All of a sudden the tattoo that he had given her began to tingle to the point where her will to stay awake, to stay alive, returned.

The wind began to pick up rapidly as it became strong enough to push Kakuzu back several feet. Despite the immense pain she was undergoing, she still managed to place a smile on her face.

She glanced up to the very person she had wanted to see. His sunny blond hair dancing in the wind as his cerulean blue orbs were filled with concern for her well-being.

"Arigato Kami-sama." She quietly spoke.

---  
_Katon: Kazangansen Shintai no Jutsu_: Fire Style: The Art of the Volcanic Body (Original Jutsu) The user focuses all the fire fused chakra into their body causes it to emit a large amount of fire increasing the effects of all their attacks and increases upon the speeds that they could achieve while using the Kazangansen Ashi.  
_Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu_: The Art of Volcanic Spiral Hunter (Original Jutsu) User summons a massive amount of lava from an already created fire source and that rapidly spines to contain the heat from within. The user then controls the attack using their chakra control to chase/hunt for their opponent during battle.  
_Deyueru Kazangansen Kariudo no Jutsu_: The Art of the Dual Volcanic Spiral Hunter (Original Jutsu)  
_Suiton: __Junsai_: Water Style: Water Shield (Original Shield) The user creates a wall of water that shields them from the majority type of attacks.


End file.
